


The Heir of Redwall

by hipgrab (merrymegtargaryen)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, Do not repost, F/M, Gothic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-06-24 03:29:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrymegtargaryen/pseuds/hipgrab
Summary: It’s a cold April evening when Rey Johnson meets Kylo Ren and everything changes.The ward of Unkar Plutt, owner of the famed Niima copper mines, Rey Johnson finds herself falling in passionate love with Kylo Ren, heir to the ancient estate of Redwall. Kylo's feelings are no less passionate, and they must work to convince his cold-hearted uncle to let them marry. As soon as they are wed, however, Kylo's behavior changes, and not for the better. Sensing that there is much more to her husband and to Redwall than she initially believed, Rey determines to discover the truth, no matter the cost.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited to finally post this!! I wrote this piece for NaNoWriMo this past November and have been sitting on it for a few months now. Initially, I wanted to write a Crimson Peak AU, but as I delved deeper into researching the Gothic Romance genre, I became inspired by the works of Daphne du Maurier and Eleanor Hibbert, and the story I meant to tell morphed into something else entirely. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

It’s a cold April evening when Rey Johnson meets Kylo Ren and everything changes.

The Niima Assembles are in full force, and Rey, as young ladies are wont to do during such extravagances, is lurking in the back with a cup of punch and hoping desperately that none of the old men will ask her to dance. There are a lot of old men at the party tonight, and many of them, Rey knows, are looking for a suitable bride. Little do they know that her guardian, Unkar Plutt, has no intention of allowing her to marry a man who isn’t himself. Her guardian has made no secret of his intentions: as soon as her woman’s body had begun to blossom, his eyes had been on her. He’s already fed and housed and clothed her from childhood—why not continue to do it in her adulthood?

She can’t decide which is less desirable: marrying an old man who’s a stranger, or marrying the older man who’s her guardian. Neither option is palatable, but surely one is the lesser of two evils. 

Isn’t it? 

She has no love for Unkar. He’s reminded her of his generosity in taking her in constantly, expecting to be thanked and fawned over for not sending her to a foundling home. But Rey knows better than to believe this was a move of generosity on Unkar’s part. The shrewd mine owner never does anything that isn’t useful to him, and taking in Rey had been useful to him. Not only had her parents, whoever they were, given him a fat sack of coin for his trouble, but he’d also gained a servant. For years, Rey, a child, has been put to work, doing the work of two people when she shouldn’t have had to do any. 

And now, Unkar wants to marry her and secure the lasting convenience of a servant who not only keeps his house but also warms his bed. 

Rey has thought, vaguely, of running away. Not that she’d know where to go or what to do--she’s never known a life outside of Niima. Unkar has taken her to town once or twice, but only to keep an eye on her while he conducted business. As such, she hadn’t experienced much of it. 

How lovely it would be, she thinks now, to go to London. With her upbringing, she could be a shop girl, or a lady’s maid. She wouldn’t even mind being a laundress or a scullery maid, something that would work her fingers to the bone. At least then she could marry who she pleased, even if it was no one at all. 

She’s imagining life as a girl in a dress shop when someone crowds close to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She smiles reactively, and then looks up into what must be the most beautiful face she’s ever seen.

It belongs to a man a good six or seven inches taller than her--which is saying something, considering how tall she is for a woman. She has to crane her neck to look up at him, admiring his features. He has a strong chin, one that supports wide, plush lips. His face is flecked with moles, though they do not diminish his good looks. If anything, they only add to them. Waves of hair black as jet frame his face, threatening to fall into the brown eyes looking down at her. 

Rey swallows, unsure of what to say to this gentleman. 

“Is your dance card full?” he asks in a deep, resonant voice. 

“Sir,” she says with a nervous huff of laughter, “we have not even been properly introduced.”

“If I may be so bold, you do not look like someone who follows convention.”

Rey opens her mouth to argue with him, realizes he’s right, and closes her mouth. “Will you not tell me who you are?”

He bows. “Kylo Ren at your service. And you are?”

“Rey,” she finds herself telling him. “Rey Johnson.”

He takes her hand, kissing it. His lips are soft and warm even through her gloves. “A pleasure, Miss Johnson. Now, will you tell me if your dance card is full?”

“It is not. I’m afraid I have been avoiding the dancing this evening.” She doesn’t know why she admits this to this strange man, who really is quite impertinent for introducing himself to her in such a manner. 

“Why?” he asks with one arched brow.

“There are few here with whom I’d wish to dance.”

“Am I in that number?” he asks wryly.

She considers him. “You may have the waltz,” she says after a long moment. 

He smiles, bowing again. “It will be my honor.” He steps away, though Rey can’t resist looking after him. He’s easily one of the tallest men in the room, something everyone else is quick to notice, too--they part for him easily, making way for the stranger in their midst.

.

Rey finds the Master of Revels and inquires about him, not caring how conspicuous she’s making herself.

“Him?” the other man says, looking at where she’s pointing. “I don’t know much about him, I’m afraid. No one does. He and his uncle are staying at the Lion and Unicorn.”

“His uncle?”

“The older man with him; look.”

Rey follows his gaze to an older man sitting on a bench, hands folded on the handle of his walking stick. Kylo Ren’s head is bent as he addresses the man, who looks over the proceedings with mild distaste. 

“Who is his uncle?”

“Lord Snoke. He owns a pretty piece of land up north--Redwall, I believe it’s called.”

Redwall. The name excites her, for some reason. She imagines it must be a fine place indeed, or else Lord Snoke would not be looking upon the assemblage with such a haughty expression. Which begs the question: what are the two gentlemen doing here?

She asks the Master of Revels as much and receives little more than a shrug. 

“I haven’t a clue.”

“They have no relations in Niima, surely?” There are no lords and ladies in this part of Cornwall, and Rey can’t imagine Lord Snoke deigning to visit anyone out here. Something must have brought him here--something of import. Perhaps he means to buy the copper mines. Buyers have come before, but none of them were willing to pay Unkar’s asking price. Truth be told, Unkar is loath to give up the mines. He loves them the way Rey imagines some people love their children. The mines are everything to him, his way of life, and it would be a steep price indeed to make him part with them. 

When the strings of the waltz start up, Rey has barely to turn before Kylo Ren is at her elbow. He leads her out to the dance floor, where she knows dozens of eyes are watching her.  _ Let them _ , she thinks with a giddy sort of resolve. She keeps her own eyes on Kylo Ren, allowing him to lead her in the waltz.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” she says in an innocent voice.

“That is because I have never been,” he says. “But you already knew that.”

She colors, embarrassed at her own transparency, but he smiles down at her.

“If you want to know what I’m doing here, why not simply ask me?”

“I thought it impertinent to be so blunt.”

“As impertinent as a strange man asking a woman he doesn’t know to dance?”

She finds herself laughing. “Yes, well,  _ one _ of us must conduct ourselves in a civilized manner.”

“Ah, but you agreed to dance with me even though we had not been properly introduced,” he reminds her. “So you see, neither of us is civilized.”

“Are you calling me uncivilized, sir?”

He smiles again. “I believe there is a touch of wildness about you, Miss Johnson.”

For some reason, that makes her flush. “So,” she asks in her most cheerful tone, “why  _ are _ you here, in Niima, of all places?”

“I can’t tell you,” he says, smirking. “It’s a secret.”

“That isn’t fair at all!”

“I never said it was.”

“You are  _ extremely _ impertinent,” she informs him. 

“If you didn’t like it, you wouldn’t have agreed to dance with me--and here you are.”

She flushes again. She supposes she does like him--indeed, he’s the only man with whom she’s agreed to dance tonight. Not even Unkar has managed to persuade her to the dance floor, and she is, for all intents and purposes, his bride-to-be. 

“Will you tell me nothing about your business in Niima?” she asks, hoping to change the subject.

“It is for an indefinite amount of time,” he allows. “And I imagine much of that spent in leisure.”

Rey laughs. “How odd! No one ever comes to Niima for  _ leisure _ .”

“I said  _ much _ of my time, not all of it. For all you know, I could be here on business.”

“Are you?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“How disappointing.” 

He chuckles. “And what about you? I know nothing about you.”

“And yet, you asked me to dance.”

“How could I not?”

She gives him a puzzled smile. “What do you mean?”

“You stole my breath away when I first looked at you,” he says without a trace of irony or amusement. “I became determined to dance with you.”

Rey is beet-red. No man has ever spoken to her that way before, not even men she’s known for years. It simply isn’t  _ done _ . And here he is, this man she met less than an hour ago, saying these bold things to her. 

“Does that embarrass you?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “No, it only...I don’t know what to say.”

“Are you offended?”

She shakes her head again. “No. I told you, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll show me around tomorrow.”

This surprises her almost as much as his earlier declaration. “Show you around?”

“I told you, I have much time for leisure, and I should like to know about the place where I’m staying.”

Rey swallows. “I think you are inventing an excuse to see me again.”

In a low voice, he murmurs, “I think you are right.” 

Rey has never felt wanted like this before. It’s so different from Unkar’s roving eyes and, when he’s had too much to drink, roving hands. That’s a different kind of want—the kind that only wants parts of her. This, though—this is a consuming want, a want that wants all of her instead of only part. 

“Well?” he presses.

She flushes again. “Yes. All right.”

Kylo Ren smiles at her. “Good. Where and when shall I come for you?”

She thinks. He could come by the house after Unkar leaves for the day, but the housekeeper, Barbara, might tell on her, and she wants this to be a secret. 

“I’ll come to you. At the Lion and Unicorn. That’s where you’re staying, isn’t it?”

He nods. “What time?”

“Nine?”

“Nine it is.”

The waltz ends with a flourish, and after applauding the musicians, Kylo takes her hand and kisses it. “Until tomorrow, Miss Johnson.”

Rey watches him go with a forlorn sort of feeling. She doesn’t think she’ll be able to wait until tomorrow. 


	2. Chapter 2

It’s all Rey can do to push Unkar out the door in the morning. He drank too much at the party the night before, making him slow and sluggish. As soon as he’s gone, she hurries upstairs to put on her hat and coat. 

She knows she’s being foolishly impulsive. Kylo Ren could be a madman or a murderer for all she knows. And yet...she trusts him. He seemed so sincere the night before, so eager to spend time with her. It’s true they ought to be chaperoned, but Rey cares very little for her own reputation. Perhaps if she damages it enough, Unkar won’t want to marry her anymore, nor will anyone else, and then she’ll be free to die an old maid. 

Perhaps Kylo Ren will want to marry her, though. That thought sends a blush right through her. She’s only just met the man. And yet...

“I’m going on a few errands,” she tells Barbara when she passes her on the stairs. The housekeeper, Barbara, humphs in displeasure but says nothing. 

Rey takes the chaise, harnessing the horse herself. Giddy with the task ahead of her, she sets off for the Lion and Unicorn. 

As she gets closer, though, the first tendrils of doubt begin to unfurl inside her. What if Kylo isn’t waiting for her? What if he thinks she’s being brazen? What if he only means to ruin her reputation?

With a feeling of dread, she slows the horse as the inn comes in sight. Kylo is standing outside, and his smile casts away her doubts. This was the right decision. 

“I did not think it possible,” he says, climbing easily into the chaise, “that you would look even lovelier in the sunlight, but here you are.”

“Mr. Ren, what do you mean by such talk?” She asks, feeling warm nonetheless. 

“I mean to flatter you, miss. Surely you are familiar with the practice?”

She isn’t, really. “Isn’t flattery something people do when they have ulterior motives?” she asks, urging on the horse.

“I have no ulterior motives.”

“But you haven’t told me what you want.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks, peering into her eyes. “Very well. I mean to woo you, Miss Johnson. In fact, I do not mean to leave Cornwall without certain promises from you.”

“Sir!” she cries. “You hardly know me! What if I’m nothing like you thought?”

“I think you are everything I dreamed and more.” 

“If you are not careful, I’ll throw you down the mines.”

He laughs loudly at that. “Down the mines?”

“Yes. My guardian owns them.” 

“Does he?”

She nods, feeling now that she is on steadier ground. “Oh yes. I could have you down there in a trice.”

His voice softens. “Do I truly distress you so much?”

She glances at him before turning her eyes back to the road. “I don’t know what to make of you. I feel as though you want something more than you’re letting on.”

“I only want you.”

“I don’t know why,” she blurts. “I’m not anything special.”

“Not anything special?” he echoes in surprise. “Miss Johnson— _ Rey _ —you are sublime.”

“You don’t even know me! How do you know if I’m sublime?”

“I just do,” he says stubbornly. 

She shakes her head. “I fear I will disappoint you gravely, Mr. Ren.”

“I fear you are too hard on yourself, Miss Johnson.”

Perhaps that’s true. Perhaps she is rather hard on herself just because she’s never known kind words from a man enamored of her. It’s not as if there are any suitable men in Niima--all the young men work in the mines, making them too low of station to court her, and all the available men of station are old and twice widowed. She’s been resigned to marrying Unkar for some time now, but maybe...maybe that could change.

She does manage to show Kylo around most of the town, pointing out uninteresting structures such as the church, the school, the post depot. He listens with polite attention, but she knows that his interest in the town only extends to her. How odd it feels, to be admired so. Is this the life she could have known had Unkar taken her to town more often? Would men not only admire her, but be so blunt about that admiration? Or is Kylo Ren an entirely different breed of man?

She’s inclined to think it’s the latter.

Truth be told, his admiration is not wholly unrequited. Though Rey has hardly set her cap at him, she cannot deny the attractiveness of the man beside her, or of the life she could lead with him. He could get her out of Niima without her having to run away or become a servant. Not that she would marry him just to leave Niima, but it’s certainly nothing to sniff at should he really make her such an offer.

“What about your home?” she asks as they drive through the meadows. “What’s it like?”

“Redwall?” He thinks for a moment. “It’s beautiful, but...sad.”

“Sad?”

“It’s a very old house,” he explains. “It’s seen many renovations, but it’s still the original structure, and it’s...seen things. I’m to inherit the estate when my uncle dies,” Kylo tells her. “It’s his home, but he has no children, nor is he like to. I’m the closest thing he has to a son.”

“Do your parents live there as well?”

He shakes his head. “My parents died when I was a boy.”

“Oh...Kylo, I’m so sorry,” she says sincerely. “I lost my parents when I was very young, too.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, covering her hand with his. “It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she says softly, remembering the way she’d screamed after her parents that day they’d left her behind. “A terrible thing.”

.

When midday rolls around, they head to the Lion and Unicorn for lunch. They attract more than a few curious looks.

“They know who I am,” Rey says apologetically. “And they don’t know who you are. I’m sure to get in terrible trouble when my guardian comes home tonight.”

“Then don’t go home tonight,” Kylo says in a would-be careless voice. “Let’s elope.”

She laughs. “How odd you are.” She’s starting to find his attention amusing rather than disconcerting, and she can see that this pleases him. “We can’t elope.”

“Why not?”

“A great many reasons, not least of which is I have no intention of accepting such a poor proposal.”

Kylo leans forward. “When I propose to you for true, you shall be so overcome that you will hardly be able to find the words to accept--but accept you shall. This I know.”

The cold determination in the way he says it sends a shiver down her spine. 

“Oh,” she says weakly.

Kylo leans back in his seat. “Well? What is next on the agenda?” 

She takes a sip of her tea. “I’m afraid there isn’t much more in Niima. Only the mines.”

“The mines?” he asks with a twinkle in his eye. 

“We are  _ not _ going into the mines,” she says firmly.

“Why not? I’ve never been in mines before.”

“It’s dangerous, for one thing,” she points out. “And dirty, for another. And there will be men everywhere--my guardian’s men--and if they don’t boot me out of the place, they’ll certainly tell my guardian.”

“Aren’t you already getting into trouble with him tonight?” he asks impishly.

“You are  _ impossible _ .”

“Could we not go tonight?” he asks, ignoring this last jibe. “When no one else is there?”

“The mines are dangerous enough as is, but to go at night…” She shakes her head. “You’d die.”

“And you wouldn’t?” he asks with a challenging arc of his eyebrows.

“I was raised in those mines,” she says proudly.

“Then I’m fortunate to have such an experienced guide.”

“You can’t be serious!”

“I assure you, I am.” He looks it, too. “Show me the mines. I want to see them.”

“Is this meant to impress me?”

“This is purely for my own entertainment. And because I’d like to see you tromping around a dirty old mine.”

Rey bites her lip. She could sneak out at night. She knows the mines as well as most of the men who work in them. It’s always dark in them, so it doesn’t matter if they go at night--she could find her way even without the aid of a lantern. No, it’s not her she’s worried about--it’s Kylo. He can’t,  _ surely _ he can’t, be serious. What does he want with a dirty old mine anyway? The adventure? The opportunity to be alone with her?

But does she really care? He’s had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of her this morning if he so chose--they’d stopped in the meadows to stretch their legs and he could have easily overpowered her there, if that was his intention. Why wait until nighttime in the mines?

“Very well,” she says uneasily. “But there are so many things that could go wrong…”

“I will not hold you the least bit accountable,” he assures her. 

Rey sighs. “Then meet me by the church at midnight.”

“Midnight? An auspicious hour.”

“Kylo, I’m serious,” she says, and his smile flickers in uncertainty. “I will get into heaps of trouble if anyone discovers what we’re about. My guardian owns the mines, and because he owns the mines, he also owns the town. They will report this to him if they find out, and you can be sure you’ll never see me again.”

“I’m sorry,” Kylo says, leaning across the table. “I didn’t mean to make light of the situation. I appreciate all that you’re putting at stake. I will behave perfectly well.”

“You haven’t behaved well at all since I met you,” she can’t help quipping.

He smiles at her. “Oh, yes I have. If I behaved the way I wanted to, we’d be standing in front of a minister right now.”

“You really must stop that, or else I’ll think this is an elaborate ploy to kidnap me and force me to marry you.”

“I would never force you to marry me,” he says calmly. “When we do marry, you will be all too eager.”

“You sound very sure of yourself.”

“I am.”

“You won’t be so sure of yourself down in the mines,” she tells him with something of a satisfied edge. 

“That is true,” he allows. 

“Make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting soiled, and bring a lantern or two--it’s devilishly dark down there.”

“I shall do as you command,” he says in mock-solemnity.

“Good. Then I shall see you at midnight.” She rises, prompting Kylo to rise as well.

“You’re leaving?”

“I have shown you all of Niima and I will see you tonight--what more could you possibly want from me?”

“Only to look on you a little longer.”

Rey rolls her eyes. “Good  _ day _ , Mr. Ren.” And she leaves, climbing into her chaise and setting off for home.

.

Unkar is furious when he comes home that evening.

“Am I to find out that while I  _ slave away _ to provide a roof over your head and food on your plate and clothes on your back, you are off  _ cavorting _ with some rapscallion?” he thunders over dinner.

“He asked me to show him around,” she says indifferently.

“Unaccompanied!”

“He was a perfect gentleman,” she tells her guardian, electing not to mention Kylo’s frequent declarations of admiration. “Nothing happened.”

“No gentleman asks a woman he barely knows to take him around without a chaperone!” 

And, well, he has a point. Rey starts to wonder if she behaved foolishly. No, scratch that--she  _ knows _ she behaved foolishly. But did she underestimate just  _ how _ foolishly?

“Nothing happened,” she says stubbornly.

“I hope for your sake it didn’t!” Spittle flies from his mouth. “You are not to leave the house again while he’s in town, do you understand?”

“You cannot lock me in here forever!” she shouts. 

“This again,” Unkar sneers. “Go to your room, and don’t let me see your face ‘til morning!”

Rey stands up roughly, knocking over her chair. She doesn’t bother to right it as she leaves, storming up the stairs and into her room. 

Angry as she is at Unkar, who means to lock her up here for the rest of his life, some part of her knows that he’s right to be so angry. She is a young lady, and Kylo Ren is a virtual stranger. Even if he wasn’t a stranger, she has no business going off alone with a man to whom she is not related. If Unkar has heard, that means half the town will have heard by now, too. Will Rey ever again be welcomed into polite society?

_ Hush _ , she tells herself.  _ You’re being foolish. _

It doesn’t stop her from wondering whether she really ought to meet Kylo tonight or not. What if Kylo really does have ill intentions? And even if he doesn’t, what if someone finds out and tells Unkar? She’ll be in such trouble--the kind of trouble that could have her sent to a convent. Unkar might not want her if he suspects she’s damaged goods, but then, would it really matter as long as he got to keep her in his debt forever?

Downstairs, she can hear the clink of glass as Unkar retreats into his study and pours himself a drink; after a while, his heavy footfalls thud up the stairs, down the corridor, and into his room.

By the time the clock chimes eleven, she’s made up her mind. She changes into the old clothes she saves for beating the rugs or scrubbing the floors and then creeps out of the house, grabbing a lantern on the way. No one is awake at this hour, and she steals easily off the property. 

She makes the journey by foot, not bothering to use her lamp--she doesn’t need it on this land she knows so well. 

.

It’s midnight when she reaches the church. Kylo is already there, grasping a lantern that casts shadows on his face; when he smiles at her, it looks not unlike a death’s head. 

“You came.”

“I’ve been confined to my house for the duration of your visit, I’ll have you know,” she informs him. 

“Truly?”

“Yes--Unkar was furious.”

“I’m sorry.” He sounds it. 

She shrugs. “Shall we go?”

He walks beside her, letting her lead the way to the mines. They aren’t a far walk from the church, and as they draw nearer, she turns on her own lantern, for Kylo’s sake more than her own. 

Rey leads him to the main entrance, which is safer than any of the others. It’s bigger, for one thing, and the path is smoother from being worn down by so many pairs of feet over the years. And it looks the most impressive, a yawning chasm of stone that seems never to end.

Kylo is properly impressed by the mines, looking around with wide eyes and an open mouth. She doubts very much a wealthy gentleman such as himself has ever seen such crude primitivity before--no man-made contraptions made for ease or comfort here. Only the rock that’s as old as the earth itself, hewn by pickaxes and sweat.

“How far down does this go?” he asks.

“Quite far--I’ve never been all the way,” she admits. “There are five other entrances stretching over several miles.”

Kylo whistles, the sound ricocheting beautifully off the walls. “And your guardian owns all of it?”

“All,” she confirms. “He cheated the original owner in a game of cards and came by the original mine--when they found copper, he had it expanded. It’s been very profitable.”

Kylo wanders deeper inside, but not far--Rey has the feeling that he’s a little afraid. 

“What’s this?” he asks, holding up his lantern to the wall.

“My guardian’s mark,” she says. “So that anyone who enters the mines will know to whom they belong.”

“I see.” He looks at her. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”

“Is it as impressive as your Redwall?” she teases.

Kylo shakes his head. “They don’t compare.” He wanders deeper. “Is it haunted?”

“Oh, it is,” she confirms, warming to the subject. She loves the mine’s ghost stories. “Hundreds of men have died down here, you see. Many of them died from passageways collapsing, that sort of thing, but it’s said that ne’er-do-wells sometimes brought victims down here to finish them off.”

“Is that so?” he asks in wonderment. 

She nods happily. “Oh, yes. Sometimes you can still hear them crying out for help…”

Kylo huffs out a nervous laugh. “You’re trying to scare me.”

“No, it’s true! Listen.”

They stand still, ears cocked. Rey waits for a gust of wind and then whispers, “Heeeeeelp.”

Kylo looks shaken. “I heard something.”

“Did you?” she asks, trying--and failing--to keep the smile from her lips. 

As soon as he looks at her face, he realizes he’s been tricked. “You…”

She laughs, squealing when he lunges for her. She races down the mine, Kylo hot on her heels. His feet thunder across the ground, closing in on her--and then his foot catches and he sprawls across the ground. Rey stops short, turning to look at where he’s lying inert. Has he been knocked unconscious by his fall? 

“Kylo…” she says cautiously, approaching him. When he still doesn’t move, she kneels beside him. “Kylo…”

He springs to life, grabbing her and wrestling her to the floor. She shrieks in surprise, giggling as he tickles her. 

And then his lips are on hers and the giggles stop in her throat.

His movements are tentative and unsure, and after a moment, she kisses him back. She’s never kissed a man before, and as her lips move with Kylo’s, she thanks every angel in Heaven for sending him to her. Her arms move around his neck, drawing him closer as he kisses her with more passion. Every inch of her feels alive, surges to respond to his attention. She sighs against him, tilting her head as he begins to lave her neck with his teeth and tongue. Is this how women in penny dreadfuls come to ruin? If so, she understands. How can any woman resist such ardorous attention? In this moment, she thinks she would gladly go to ruin for this.

To her surprise and disappointment, it’s Kylo who pulls away first.

“No,” he says, panting. “I can’t...if I keep kissing you, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” she murmurs, wanting desperately for him to kiss her again.

He chuckles breathlessly. “Tempted as I am to have you, my dear, I will save that for our wedding night.”

Wedding night. Rey imagines their wedding night, lace and petticoats pushed to the side as these delicious sensations continue, coiling between her legs. It’s nearly enough to make her rip off his clothes here and now. 

“Kylo…”

He sits back, shaking his head. “I want you--make no mistake. But I will not take you yet.”

She knows that he’s doing her a favor, that he’s being a gentleman, that she’ll come to thank him in the morning...but right now, she wants him so very badly. 

Kylo gets to his feet, pulling her to hers. “May I see you again?” 

She nods dumbly, flushed with pleasure when he kisses her again. Hand in hand, they walk out of the mines. 

“Let me walk you home,” he says, but she shakes her head, laughing. 

“I know this country far better than you, and you’ll only get lost. Besides, if my guardian should be awake, he’ll have your hide.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” She kisses his hand. “ _ I _ will walk  _ you _ back to the inn, or near enough—best not give the tongues of this town more to wag about.”

“Is your reputation terribly damaged?” 

“Yes, but not irreparably. It doesn’t matter—Unkar’s the one who will have to deal with it.”

“Your guardian?”

She nods. “Everyone knows he plans to marry me.”

Kylo stops short. “He plans to marry you?”

“Yes.” She realizes now that Kylo didn’t know. “I’m sorry, I thought everyone knew.”

“And you...have you accepted?” he asks darkly. 

“He hasn’t even asked,” she says in some surprise. “It’s not because he’s in love with me, it’s because he wants a housekeeper who he doesn’t have to pay, and because I’ll inherit the mines someday.”

“ _ Will _ you accept?” he presses. “When he asks?”

Rey shakes her head. “I have serious plans to run away to London and become a shop girl, I’ll have you know.”

“And what about marrying the heir to a sizable fortune and becoming the mistress of a grand manor?” 

“Perhaps,” she allows. “Why, do you know of any?”

Kylo lunges again and she breaks into a run, laughing as she leads him back towards town. When he catches her, arm around her waist, he buries his face in the juncture where her neck meets her shoulder. “When can I see you again?” 

“I’ve been confined to my house for the duration of your stay, or don’t you remember?” 

Kylo considers this. “I’ll find a way to you. I swear it.”

Rey can’t wipe the grin off her face the whole way home.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days pass, and Kylo does not find his way to Rey. In fairness to him, she has decided to obey Unkar and stay in the house, because she somehow feels that she ought to save her troublemaking for Kylo. 

Still, part of her does wonder at the meaning behind Kylo’s lack of communication. He had been so eager to be with her, so desperate for her attention, that his sudden silence confuses and worries her. Is he trying to play it safe?

But then, this is the man who asked her to take him to the mines in the middle of the night after less than twenty-four hours’ acquaintance. Surely a little thing like her guardian wouldn’t stand in his way?

Except, clearly, her guardian  _ is _ standing in the way. That, or something terrible has happened. But surely she would have heard about it. Surely Unkar would have mentioned it over dinner, this man who was so forward with his ward. 

It threatens to drive her mad, and were it not for Sunday morning’s outing to church, she’s sure she really would lose her marbles. 

She rides beside Unkar in the chaise, both of them sitting in blissful silence as the horses trot down the road, kicking up the mud that the rain has produced. Rey wonders if Kylo will be at church, if he and his uncle would deign to visit a church they do not regularly attend.

To her relief, she sees Kylo’s tall figure through the crowd, an umbrella raised over his head. She smoothes down her skirts in anticipation, keeping her eyes firmly on him as Unkar pulls the horses to a stop. He helps her out, her eyes never leaving Kylo, and as soon as Unkar turns to tether the horses, she makes a beeline for Kylo. He’s turned slightly away from her, and when she reaches him, she touches his sleeve. He looks down at the black lace glove in surprise and then looks up at her.

Rey smiles at him, but he does not smile in return. Nor does he have any sort of recognition in his eyes. 

“K--Mr. Ren,” she says, suddenly unsure. Had she imagined the last few days? Does he care about her at all? 

“Miss Johnson,” he says coolly. 

Rey stumbles back a step, surprised. “I…”

“There you are.” Unkar takes her arm and, without so much as a backwards glance at Kylo, steers her inside. “How dare you throw yourself at him like a common hussy?” he hisses.

Yes--how dare she? For Kylo clearly does not care about her. What had she been thinking, running up to him in front of so many people? And what had  _ he _ been thinking, regarding her so coldly? Has there been some mistake, some miscommunication? But how could there be? He had asked so  _ eagerly _ when he might see her again, and now two days have gone by and the first time he sees her, he acts as if they’re strangers. Not even strangers--as if they’ve gotten into some disagreement. What had she  _ done _ ?

She spends the entire service worrying about it, glancing over constantly at Kylo. He sits tall and proud beside his uncle, his eyes fixed on the pulpit. She wonders if he can sense her eyes, if he knows she’s staring at him and making a fool of herself. 

When the service is over, Rey rises instantly, determined to talk to Kylo. But he brushes past her without so much as a second glance, and Unkar steers her forcefully to the chaise. She glances back as they trundle away, staring at Kylo in the rain. 

He doesn’t look back.

.

Rey feigns sick during Sunday dinner and goes to her room, crying into her pillow. She’s been such a fool. Kylo only wanted to kiss a stupid country girl and make her throw herself at him. Of course he doesn’t really care about her, let alone want to marry her and take her away from this horrid place. He only cares about himself. 

.

On Monday morning, after Unkar has left for the day, a knock comes at the door. Since Barbara is out in the gardens, Rey answers--and finds herself face-to-face with Kylo Ren.

“What are you doing here?” she asks in surprise.

The coldness from the day before is gone, replaced by an agonized expression that takes her quite aback. 

“I came to see you,” he says breathlessly, as if he’d hurried here. 

“Why?” It comes out harshly, though she doesn’t mean it to. 

“I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved yesterday.”

“For the way you snubbed me, you mean?” She puts a hand on her hip.

“I was with my uncle,” he explains, gripping his hat. “He doesn’t...approve of you.”

Rey feels shame rise up in her. Too low down to be a suitable choice for the heir of Redwall. “I see.” 

“I’ve been trying to reason with him these last few days.” He swallows. “I think...Rey, I truly believe that if he spoke to you, he would change his mind. If he saw you for who you really are.”

“And who am I, really?” she wants to know.

Impulsively, he reaches out to take her hand. “You are the finest woman I have ever known.”

Rey doesn’t know what to say. What can she?

“I’ve surprised you,” he notes. “You don’t think my admiration is that deep.”

“It can’t be.” She takes a deep, steadying breath. “I’m not allowed to leave the house, and I doubt very much my guardian would approve of your being here, with or without your uncle. You should leave.”

“Then dine with us at the inn.” He produces an envelope from his pocket. “Say that it is from my uncle and that he entreats both of you to join us tonight.”

Rey hesitates even as she takes the envelope. “What if he meets me and doesn’t approve?”

“He will, Rey, I’m sure of it.”

“But if he doesn’t?”

Kylo gives her a wry smile. “Then we’ll elope.” He puts his hat back on his head. “I won’t keep you. I’m sure you’ll be in trouble enough at my coming here. But please, say you’ll make it work.”

She takes a deep breath. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you.” He kisses her hand and then turns, heading back to his horse. Rey watches him go; as soon as he’s out of sight, she looks down at the envelope. It isn’t sealed, and when she opens it, she sees a note in careful, looping handwriting, inviting Mr. Plutt and Miss Johnson to dine at the Lion and Unicorn at seven o’clock that evening.

Deciding that she’ll have more luck by taking it straight to Unkar rather than waiting for him to come home, she takes the chaise to his office by the mines. His face purples when he sees her, but she holds out the note in explanation. Unkar scans it twice.

“Wants us to join him for dinner, does he?” 

“Yes,” she says, deciding that the less she says, the better.

Unkar hesitates. “He’s a lord, is he?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” After a long moment, he nods. “All right. We’ll go.”

Rey can feel her spirits lifting. 

“But any...funny business,” he says, clearly trying to maintain the upper hand somehow, “and we’re leaving.”

“Of course,” she agrees. 

He waves a dismissive hand. “Go home and lay out my suit--I’ll be home early.”

Rey obeys, grinning broadly as she returns home. 

.

Rey puts on one of her nicest dresses, piles her hair fashionably atop her head, and powders her face in anticipation of the evening ahead of her. She’s thrilled at the prospect of seeing Kylo again, and this time in front of their respective guardians, but she’s terrified of meeting Lord Snoke. If the older man doesn’t approve of her now, what will dinner with her and her guardian solve? If anything, won’t dinner with Unkar only make her a less palatable candidate for the next Lady of Redwall? 

At six-thirty, she and Unkar take the carriage to the Lion and Unicorn, where Kylo waits out front. He hands her down from the carriage, his eyes sparkling. 

“You look beautiful,” he tells her softly, squeezing her hand. 

Unkar looks disgruntled as he comes around the carriage, and Rey takes an instinctive step back. 

“Mr. Plutt,” Kylo says politely. He holds out his hand. “Kylo Ren, at your service. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Mm,” Unkar says, clearly uncertain of how to respond to the situation. On the one hand, Kylo is high above his station. On the other, this is the man who’s been cavorting with his ward. 

“My uncle is inside. Shall we go to him?” 

At a curt nod from Unkar, Kylo leads them inside and to a private table in the back, curtained off from the rest of the patrons. Lord Snoke is already sitting and waiting, though he rises when the other three enter and kisses Rey’s hand.

“Miss Johnson,” he says in a reedy voice. “I have heard so much about you.” 

“You as well, Lord Snoke,” she says politely. 

Lord Snoke turns towards Unkar. “And you must be Mr. Plutt.”

Unkar draws himself up. “I am, your lordship,” he says proudly. 

Lord Snoke looks unimpressed. He turns back to the table, waving an expansive hand. “Do sit down.”

The innkeep himself waits on them, bringing them soup and bread to start.

“So,” Lord Snoke says when the innkeep has left. “Here we are at last--the four of us. And now perhaps we can put an end to this foolishness.”

Rey feels her cheeks turn red. 

“Uncle…” Kylo says in a warning tone.

Unkar, to Rey’s surprise, seems just as upset. “What do you mean, foolishness?”

“I mean, sir, that you and I both know your ward is unsuitable for my nephew.” Lord Snoke takes a sip of his wine. 

Unkar purples. “And what’s wrong with her,  _ my lord _ ?”

“Why, her birth, for one thing,” Lord Snoke says as if this should be obvious. Perhaps it should be. “No one knows anything about her parents--she could be the illegitimate child of a barmaid, for all I know.”

“I assure you, she is not,” Unkar says fiercely. “She is a legitimate child and from a family that paid  _ handsomely _ for me to take her in.”

“Is she?” Lord Snoke asks with some curiosity. “Well, be that as it may, she is hardly a lady of breeding or education. She has no formal schooling, and you are little more than a mere tradesman.”

Unkar looks furious. “I will have you know that I own the mines for which this area of Cornwall is so famous! Not a man, woman, or child in this town doesn’t owe me their livelihood! And Rey is to inherit all of it when I die! She may not have the  _ lineage _ , but she is heiress to a  _ vast _ fortune, and she’s more than good enough for the likes of your  _ nephew _ !”

Rey opens her mouth to interject, but beside her, Kylo shakes his head. She closes her mouth, watching Lord Snoke consider this outburst.

“Nevertheless, we must all acknowledge that there are many overreaching young women these days eager for a title. How do I know your ward is not one of them?”

“I have no wish for a title,” Rey says, and all eyes turn on her. “I would take Kylo were he a penniless man with no title or inheritance to speak of. I care for him very deeply because of his character, and not the size of his fortune.”

Lord Snoke looks almost pleased at this admission. “Perhaps I underestimated you, Miss Johnson.”

“Too right you did!” Unkar huffs.

Lord Snoke leans back in his seat. “Then let us enjoy this meal, and perhaps afterwards, Mr. Plutt, you and I can speak frankly.”

Unkar looks surprised and pleased. “Very well, Your Lordship.”

Dinner passes in a pleasant haze, Rey full of warm food and warmer smiles from Kylo. Lord Snoke approves of her. Or at least, he seems to, and he wants to talk to Unkar privately, which she takes to be a good sign. 

When dinner is over, Lord Snoke and Unkar depart for the billiards room while Kylo and Rey remain in the private dining room. He draws his chair closer to her, stroking her hand with his.

“I told you he would change his mind if he met you,” he says softly. 

“You think he approves?” she asks excitedly.

Kylo nods. “He would not have asked to speak privately to your guardian if he did not.” 

“What do you think they’re talking about?”

“Settling the terms of your dowry, I’d imagine.”

“My  _ dowry _ ? We’re not even engaged!”

“Well, when we are, it shall be all settled,” he says, bringing her hand to his lips.

_ When _ we are. The certainty of it makes her smile. 

.

As soon as they are in the carriage going home, Unkar looks at Rey. “You will marry him.”

She raises her eyebrows. “He has not even proposed.”

“Aye, but he will, and you’d best accept.”

“I’d intended to,” she says, turning to look out the window. 

“Good. And there’d better not be any stringing him along, either.”

“Why do you care so much?” she asks, genuinely curious.

Unkar lets out a harsh bark of laughter. “Because! That man is going to make us richer than ever!”

“Mr. Ren?”

“Lord  _ Snoke _ , though I suppose it’s thanks to his nephew we’ll be so rich. He’s going to invest in the mines,” he says delightedly. “Think how much profit there’ll be with a proper  _ lord _ backing us!”

She must have  _ really _ impressed Lord Snoke. That, or he wants the mines to be the wealthier so that he has more reason to accept her as a niece-in-law. And he must have offered an awful lot, or else Unkar wouldn’t have been so eager to pawn her off rather than marry her himself. Kylo has freed her, really and truly, and someday she’ll get to fly from this cage with him at her side.

.

Kylo calls on Rey every day. Unkar has lifted his punishment, eager for her to wed the wealthy young lordling, so it isn’t at all difficult to walk or ride with Kylo while Unkar is at work. She and Unkar have Kylo and Lord Snoke over for dinner several times, after which the two older men retreat to the study while Rey and Kylo sit in the parlor, holding hands and gazing at one another in stupefied wonderment. Can this be real? Can she really be so close to perfect happiness?

Two weeks to the day after they first met (can it really have been so short a time?), Kylo takes Rey out to the meadows and drops to one knee. She finds herself crying happy tears as she accepts, and he puts on her finger a beautiful sapphire ring. 

“Are you all right?” he asks, kissing away her tears.

“I’m so happy,” she tells him, admiring the glint of the ring and all that it means. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”


	4. Chapter 4

Rey and Kylo marry on a blustery day in May. They’ve spent most of their engagement apart, Kylo and his uncle having gone to London on business. They return just in time for the wedding, taking up rooms at the Lion and Unicorn.

Rey, Kylo, and Lord Snoke depart Niima hours after the wedding, taking a train headed north to Cumberland.

Rey spends her wedding night on that train. She doesn’t mind; she’d have her wedding night in the mines if Kylo asked it of her.

When he comes to her after dinner, he’s trembling and breathless. He loses himself in kissing his way up her legs, climbing atop her and settling at her hips. There’s a long moment where nothing happens, and then, suddenly, he’s inside her and a moan rips free from Rey’s lips. She slaps a hand over her mouth, giggling when she imagines the other passengers overhearing.

“You are so beautiful,” Kylo murmurs, moving slowly inside her. He’s so big that it hurts, but the slow and steady movement makes her hot and wet, and she soon finds that the hurt mellows out. She runs her hands under his shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his chest and stomach.

“So are you,” she hums.

Kylo kisses her, his enormous hand cradling her head as he moves faster inside her. She moans again, her hands moving around to his back, gliding down to his bottom. Instinctively, she grasps the flesh there, and with a shout, Kylo thrusts hard and fast into her, her center filling with his warm seed. 

He lies on top of her for a long time after, breathing hard as she strokes his hair and murmurs soothing nonsense into his ear. 

“Now we are truly married,” she whispers at one point.

Kylo kisses her. “‘Til death do us part.”

Rey falls asleep with him still inside her, feeling more content than she can ever recall.

.

In the morning, Rey folds up the soiled bed sheet and packs it into her trunk. She’ll want to look at the trickle of red there later and remember how it had felt that first time, how full of love and happiness she and Kylo had been. 

The train arrives in Cumberland that day. Stiff and sore and elated, Rey follows her husband and new uncle into the waiting carriage. 

_ Husband _ . It feels good to call him that, to know that they finally belong to one another. Their engagement had only lasted a month, but it feels so much longer than that. There were some in Niima who felt that it had been rushed, but Rey felt they were dragging it out by waiting a whole month and not getting married as soon as Kylo proposed. 

“Any sooner and they’d think you were in the family way,” Unkar had chortled good-naturedly. His spirits had been much improved since learning how rich Lord Snoke would make him. He’d even paid for the wedding and Rey’s trousseau, meager as it was. Someday, Kylo promised her, they’d visit Paris and Milan, and then she could  _ really _ expand her wardrobe. For now, she had several beautiful new gowns tailored in London, and they would do quite nicely. 

The journey to Redwall is long, broken up only by a bite to eat at a pub. Rey walks around gratefully, her hips and bottom sore from sitting for so long.

“You are unaccustomed to travel, is that correct?” Lord Snoke asks when she climbs back into her seat, wincing. 

“I rarely left Cornwall,” she agrees. 

“It is a shame that Mr. Plutt did not take you to town more often for the benefit of tutors,” Lord Snoke sighs. “Oh well--no matter.”

Rey does not like Lord Snoke. The fact that he initially objected to her still stings, and even now, she finds him rude and snobbish. It’s clear that, while he may have given Kylo his blessing and Unkar his money, he still thinks Rey is beneath Kylo and just barely worthy of Redwall. She comforts herself with the reminder, however uncharitable, that Lord Snoke is old and will probably be dead in a few years, leaving Redwall to Kylo and Rey and any children that they might have.

She hopes, dearly, that they do have children. Kylo is so handsome, and she longs to have children who look like him. And she would like a family of her own, children she’d love and care for and never, ever abandon. 

Not for the first time, Rey wonders about her parents. Who they were and why they abandoned her. Why they had enough money to pay Unkar Plutt but not enough to care for her.

But that’s the thing, isn’t it? It wasn’t an issue of money. They simply didn’t want her.

Her eyes sting and she looks quickly out the window. She will  _ not _ cry. She has a family now, and even if Lord Snoke doesn’t want her, Kylo does--and that’s all that matters.

.

Kylo shakes her awake.

“Look,” he says softly. “We’re here.” 

Rey stirs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She sits up, peering out the window to where Kylo is pointing. 

A great house looms over the horizon. It’s a beautiful house--older, certainly, with two great towers and a number of spires that reach towards the sky. It’s easily the biggest house Rey has ever seen.

And it’s hers.

The staff is standing in a line when they pull up--manservants to one side, maids to the other. They all bow and curtsy as Rey, Kylo, and Lord Snoke alight from the carriage.

“Darling, this is the housekeeper, Mrs. Phasma,” Kylo says, leading her towards a tall and stern-faced woman. Her blonde hair is kept tightly bound to her head, and the set of her jaw tells Rey that the woman does not often smile. 

“Pleased to meet you,” Rey says, taking the other woman’s hand. Mrs. Phasma gives her an uneasy feeling, though Rey can’t say why.

“Anything you need, you need only ask, madam,” Mrs. Phasma says.

“Thank you, Mrs. Phasma.” 

Kylo leads Rey inside, where she gapes up at the enormous hall. Portraits of who she imagines were former occupants line the walls, which stretch all the way to what looks to be the roof. 

“Let me show you to your room,” Kylo says. “Finn will take your things.”

A manservant tips his hat at her and leans down to heft her luggage. She takes Kylo’s arm, following him up the stairs. He points to various floors and wings, explaining what lies in each, but it’s so much to take in that Rey hardly registers what he’s saying. She does take note that her room is on the third floor, and it is entirely hers--Kylo has the adjoining room.

“We have separate rooms?” she asks in some surprise.

“Of course,” Kylo says with the same measure of surprise. “Married couples often do.” The tips of his ears turn red. “That’s...how my uncle always lived with his wives, so I...that’s normal, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure it is,” she soothes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know...anything.”

He smiles at her. “Then we’ll figure it out together.”

“Yes,” she says in relief. “Together.”

It doesn’t occur to her until much later that Kylo had said  _ wives _ . She hadn’t realized that Lord Snoke had been married before, let alone more than once. She can’t imagine many women willingly entering into matrimony with that man, but perhaps they were motivated by less than honorable intentions. Perhaps they were willing to tolerate the man for his money. What a shame, Rey thinks, as clearly none of them got what they wanted--a wealthy widowhood. 

.

Dinner is a stilted and awkward affair. Kylo accompanies Rey to the dining room, seeing as how she doesn’t know the layout and there hadn’t been time for a tour, and then doesn’t speak for the duration of the meal. No one does. Rey makes a few attempts at conversation, but the stares of both men silence her quickly. Dinner, she begins to understand, is not for conversation in this house. 

When they retreat to the parlor after dinner, Rey finally gets the gumption to ask, “Why is it called Redwall?”

Lord Snoke looks pleased at the question. “It is a bit of a morbid story. Many years ago, under the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the owners of this house were suspected of harboring Papists set on putting Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. Elizabeth sent her spymaster, Walsingham, to determine whether this was merely a suspicion or if she had cause to fear. Walsingham discovered that it was indeed true, and he also found that the Papists meant to kill him. Calling on the men he’d brought with him, a bloody battle ensued, during which the Papists were all killed. It’s said that their blood stained the wall, so violent did the fighting become. After Walsingham reported to the queen, she gifted him the house. He named it Redwall, a reminder to all Catholics and conspirators of the consequences should they wish to defy Gloriana Regina.”

The story makes Rey feel sick. 

“Then...you are a descendant of Walsingham?” she asks, shifting in her seat. 

Lord Snoke’s smile flickers. “Sadly, no. My first wife was. This house has been in her family for over two hundred years.”

This is interesting to Rey, who naturally assumed that Redwall belonged to Lord Snoke’s family. So, Redwall hadn’t been his to begin with. That’s  _ very _ interesting. 

“I’m feeling quite tired,” Lord Snoke says abruptly. “I shall retire.”

“We shall do the same,” Kylo says, surprising Rey. She  _ is _ tired, though, so she takes Kylo’s arm and follows him up the stairs. 

He’s so  _ quiet _ . Subdued. Tired from the long journey home, she imagines. He’ll be his old self tomorrow. 

Kylo helps her undress and then couples with her, quickly and without passion. It leaves Rey wanting more, and it makes her distressed when he gets up and collects his clothes. 

“Won’t you stay?” she asks in dismay. 

Kylo ducks his head. “I’m rather tired,” he says. “I’d prefer to sleep in my own bed.”

Rey can do nothing but clutch the bedclothes and watch him leave. 

Is this really the man so inflamed with passion that he asked her to marry him after two weeks? That man had hardly been able to keep away from her, had considered a moment not in her presence wasted. And now, on the second night of their marriage, he wants to sleep in another room. 

Has she done something wrong? That would certainly explain the silence over dinner and his abrupt departure. But what could she have done? 

It keeps her up late into the night, until, exhausted from her journey to her new home, she falls asleep in the early hours of the morning. 

She wakes mere hours later when a maid enters, throwing open the curtains and turning to her with a painfully cheery expression.

“Morning, ma’am. I’m to help you ready for breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Rey says groggily, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Rose.”

“Hello, Rose.” Rey gets out of bed, smiling when the other woman drapes her wrapper around her shoulders. Rose looks to be around Rey’s age, probably a few years older. She has black hair that doesn’t want to stay down and a round, cheery face. She brushes out Rey’s hair, pinning it atop her head in soft waves, and then laces her into her corset. Rose doesn’t pull too tight, which is a relief--Barbara always used to, even though there had never been much to draw in. 

“How long have you worked here, Rose?” Rey asks as the other woman helps her into her dress--a mint green muslin. 

“Not long, ma’am--only a few months. My sister got me the job--she served the last Lady Snoke.”

“How long ago was that?”

“A couple years. She nursed her right to the end.”

Rey glances at Rose. “What happened to her?”

“She took ill,” Rose says sorrowfully. “It was too cold up here for her, I think. She never quite adjusted.”

Rey won’t be like that, she decides. She’ll adjust, no matter what. She can do this for Kylo. Kylo, who wouldn’t even sleep in her bed last night.

_ Don’t go upsetting yourself before it’s even breakfast _ .

“You look lovely, ma’am,” Rose gushes as soon as she’s laced Rey into her boots. 

“Thank you, Rose.”

“Do you need help finding the dining room?”

Rey shakes her head. “I remember the way from last night, thank you.” 

Some part of her had hoped that Kylo would accompany her to breakfast, but she realizes now that he has no intention of doing so. Trying not to let her disappointment show, she walks down the stairs, running her hand over the polished banister. 

Kylo and Lord Snoke are already in the dining room, helping themselves to the food laid out on the sideboard. 

“Good morning, darling,” Kylo says, kissing her cheek in a manner that can only be described as chaste.

“Good morning, darling, Uncle,” she says to the two men. She takes her plate and loads it with a hearty meal of bacon, sausage, black pudding, kippers, and toast.

“How did you sleep?” Lord Snoke asks.

Rey hesitates. “It’s...strange, to be in a new place. I’m sure I will grow used to it.”

Lord Snoke grunts in agreement before burying his nose in the paper. Kylo smiles kindly but awkwardly at her, as if he doesn’t know what to make of her.

_ What _ is going on with him?

“Will you show me around today?” she asks him.

“Of course,” he says quickly, shooting a glance at his uncle. “I’d love to.”

“Yes--you should familiarize yourself with your new home,” Lord Snoke says patronizingly. 

Rey forces a smile over gritted teeth.

It quickly becomes apparent that, like dinner, breakfast is not a time for hearty conversation. It isn’t that she and Unkar had had hearty conversations during their own meals together, but Rey had expected that Kylo and his uncle would be more like a family and less like strangers sharing a coach. 

After breakfast, Kylo shows Rey around the house and property. The first floor contains the dining room, kitchens, two parlors, and a ballroom, which Rey is disappointed to learn hasn’t been used in years. 

“We shall have to have a party,” she tells Kylo, taking his arm. “To celebrate our marriage.”

He has a strange look on his face. “Yes...we shall.”

On the second floor, Kylo shows Rey the study, guest rooms, and the library, which is bigger than Rey could have possibly dreamed. 

“How many books are there?” she asks in awe, running her fingers over the spines.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “Hundreds. Thousands.”

“I’m going to read them all,” she decides. She looks back at Kylo, who wears that same strange look from the ballroom. “Kylo, is something the matter? You’ve been acting...odd.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, stricken.

She turns to fully face him. “Last night you didn’t stay in my room, you haven’t spoken at all during dinner or breakfast, and you keep wearing the strangest look on your face.”

“I don’t mean to,” he says, and she believes him. “I only...it’s just so new, to have you here. It isn’t what I’m used to.”

Rey relaxes. Of course. This is his home, the place where he’s grown up--of course he feels out of sorts with her here, reminding him how much things have changed. 

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.” He steps forward, taking her hands. “I swear I don’t mean to. I only need to adjust to...this. Having a wife.”

“I understand,” she says honestly.

Kylo kisses her hand. “Come, let’s finish our tour of the house.”

Rey is only too happy to follow him.

The third floor is full of bedrooms--hers, Kylo’s, Lord Snoke’s, the old Lady Snoke’s, and a nursery that has not been used since Kylo was a boy. Privately, Rey hopes to fill it, and soon. 

The upper levels are servants’ quarters and storage space, which Kylo shows her in careless passing, and then they descend the stairs to go outdoors. 

The grounds are so expansive that Rey and Kylo have to survey them on horseback. 

“You own  _ all _ of this?” she asks in amazement, looking out at the land from the top of the hill they’d ridden up. It’s the highest point on the property, and from it, Rey can see all of Redwall.

“ _ We _ own it,” Kylo corrects with a gentle smile. 

Were Rey not riding side-saddle, she’d lean over and kiss him. 

.

Rey and Kylo take a picnic out on the grounds. It’s pleasant, the spring air cool and the sun warm. Eventually, Kylo lies down with his head in Rey’s lap. She strokes his hair, happier than she’s been since coming to Redwall. 

Kylo looks up at her, smiling. “You’re nothing like I expected.”

Rey furrows her brow. “What do you mean?” 

His face changes. “I...nothing.” He sits up, kissing her. “Shall we head back?”

Rey looks around. “No...let’s stay out here, just a bit longer.”

Out here, everything is calm and beautiful, Kylo most of all. Inside the house, he’s...different. Quiet and cold. She wants to stay out here with him. Out here, he feels like the man she fell in love with. Out here, she isn’t afraid. 


	5. Chapter 5

It isn’t that Rey is afraid of Kylo so much as she’s afraid of the person he becomes. 

Within the confines of Redwall, he’s unrecognizable from the impetuous young gentleman she met in Niima. At Redwall, he passes entire meals in silence, will sometimes go hours without uttering a word. He barely looks at Rey, and when he does, it’s almost always with that odd expression. Worst of all are the nights when he comes to her. It isn’t every night, for which she becomes grateful, but it’s often enough to make her dread it. 

It isn’t that he hurts her, only that  _ it _ hurts. Their...lovemaking. If it can even be called that. There is no love in the way Kylo mounts her and thrusts slowly and quietly into her. There’s no passion, no ardor, and Rey finds that her lack of enthusiasm makes it harder to take him. She winces when he enters her, her heels digging into the mattress as she tries to ground herself. 

If Kylo notices her discomfort, he says nothing, thrusting until he spends inside her. And then he picks up his clothes and shuffles out, the door closing much too softly behind him. 

But outside of Redwall—outside, he’s so different, her husband. The farther they are from the house, the more animated he becomes, talking and teasing and laughing. It always makes Rey dread going back after being out, dread returning to the husk of a human her husband always becomes. 

What could account for such a change? What is it about the house that alters him so? 

She decides to do some snooping. 

“You’ve been here a few months, Rose, is that right?” she asks one night when Rose helps her dress for dinner. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you’ve known my husband all that time?”

“In truth, no. I worked as the scullery maid when I started, then the regular house maid, and then they promoted me to lady’s maid when you came.”

“I see.” Rey tries to figure out how to ask her next question. “But surely you knew enough of my husband to know...what sort of person he is, generally.”

Rose considers. “I suppose so.”

Rey twists around to look at her. “And what would you say?”

Rose hesitates. “I’m not sure...it’s my place…”

“Please, Rose. I swear I won’t hold it against you.”

Rose takes a deep breath. “It seems to me the master is...afraid.”

“Afraid?” That catches Rey off her guard. “Of what?”

“I don’t rightly know, ma’am. He only...talks and walks like something’s looming over him. He always seems better after he’s been away, but he settles back into his old ways just the same.”

What could Kylo possibly be afraid of in his own home?

“I hope I didn’t offend…”

“Not at all.” Rey forces a smile at the other woman. “Thank you for your honesty.” She rises, heading down to dinner. 

All through dinner, she watches Kylo. He  _ does _ seem frightened, now that she thinks about it. But of what? Has he always been like this and Rey was too blind to see? No, of course not—he’d seemed unafraid of anything when they’d first met. Something here is scaring him. 

Rey only hopes she can find out what.

.

That night, after they’ve coupled and before he’s gotten up to dress, Rey reaches for Kylo.

“What troubles you?”

“What?” he asks in evident surprise. 

“What’s on your mind?” she presses. “Something must be.” 

“Nothing’s on my mind,” he says with a note of irritation.

“Are you sure?” she presses. “The way you act…”

He stands up so violently that she sprawls back on the bed, eyes wide. 

“Dammit, will you leave it alone?!”

Rey pulls the bedclothes up to her chest, even though she’s still wearing her nightgown. Kylo seems to realize how frightened he made her because he runs his hand through his hair and takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. You were merely concerned for my well-being and I lashed out. I’m sorry.” He reaches for Rey, but, frightened still, she recoils. Kylo’s face is heavy, his eyes sad. “I’m sorry,” he says again. He gathers his clothes and plods out of the room.

She turns over onto her side, tears stinging her eyes. 

What happened to the man she married?

.

She’s wandering the hall one morning, bored out of her mind, when she comes across the portrait of an elegant woman in blue velvet, a fan pressed coyly to her heart. Rey’s seen this portrait before but has never really paid attention until now. 

“The first Lady Snoke,” a voice says, making her leap nearly out of her skin. 

It’s Lord Snoke, gazing upon the portrait with a fond sort of look. 

Rey relaxes. “She was the one descended from Walsingham, wasn’t she?”

“Yes. Henrietta Manners.” With the look on Lord Snoke’s face, Rey can believe that he cared, at least in some measure, for his first wife.

“What was she like?”

“A charming woman. A bit older than I,” he says, which surprises Rey. “She was all that was left of her family. Parents dead, no siblings. She lived all alone in Redwall until we married. It was a comfort, to end her loneliness. Her years of suffering.”

“Suffering?” she asks in surprise.

Lord Snoke raises an eyebrow. “Is isolation not suffering?”

“Why was she isolated?”

Lord Snoke turns back to the portrait. “She was...unconventional. Not everyone liked her.”

“You did, though.”

“I liked her unconventionality.”

How strange, Rey thinks, that he had liked this woman’s unconventionality but had turned up his nose at Rey in the beginning. But perhaps it isn’t that strange--Henrietta Manners may have been unconventional, but she was also wealthy and was descended from one of the most famous men in Tudor history. 

“How did she die?” Rey asks. “If you don’t mind my prying.”

Lord Snoke is quiet for a moment. “She fell,” he says at last. “Down the stairs.”

Rey’s blood turns cold. 

Lord Snoke walks to the portrait beside it, and after a moment, Rey forces her leaden feet to follow. The portrait is of a young woman with pale blonde curls. Though she isn’t smiling, there’s something mischievous about her eyes, as if she’d like to be. 

“This is my second wife,” he says. “Eleanor Hartfield. She was younger than I. I found she soothed the pain of Henrietta’s passing.”

Rey privately thinks that Eleanor “soothed” a few other things, too--the woman looks not much older than Rey herself and is excessively pretty. 

“She passed a few years ago, didn’t she?”

Lord Snoke gives a dark chuckle. “That was Elizabeth--my fourth wife.”

Rey cannot keep her eyes from widening. “Your  _ fourth _ wife?” she blurts in obvious surprise. 

“I have been unlucky in love,” Lord Snoke says lightly. 

“So Eleanor...was your second wife,” Rey says, trying to control her own shock. 

Lord Snoke guides her to the portrait beside it. This woman has chestnut locks fashionably curled, and a yellow summer dress and matching parasol. “Georgiana DeWinter, my third wife. She was a widow, just like me. We took comfort in each other’s presence. It is a hard thing, to lose a spouse, and it is good to be with those who can understand it.” He’s quiet for a moment. “And then, of course, there was Elizabeth.”

“Where’s her portrait?” Rey asks, seeing that he doesn’t move. 

“She doesn’t have one. We weren’t married long, I’m afraid--only a few months before illness took her, God rest her soul.”

Rey studies the portraits of three of Lord Snoke’s four wives. Will her portrait join theirs someday? Will Kylo tell stories of her--and all his other wives?

_ You’re being silly _ , she tells herself. She isn’t going to die.

But it does strike her as curious that all four Ladies Snoke passed away, in some fashion or another. One fell down the stairs, another fell ill--what happened to the other two? And does she dare ask their husband?

“I’m sorry you have been so unfortunate in your marriages,” she says.

Lord Snoke shrugs. “They were happy while they lasted.”

She wonders if that’s really true.

As if reading her earlier thoughts, Lord Snoke says, “We shall have to have your portrait done.”

“Oh, I don’t know…”

“Oh, but I do. We shall have it done so that we can hang it on the walls, and long after you and I are gone, people will be able to see Mrs. Ren.”

It still takes Rey aback whenever she hears herself referred to as “Mrs. Ren”. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to it--after so many years as Rey Johnson, Mrs. Ren is quite the adjustment. 

“If you like,” she says in her most indifferent voice.

Lord Snoke tilts his head. “How are things between you and my nephew?” 

_ Does he know _ ? “Very well,” she lies. 

“Good.” Lord Snoke clearly does not believe her. “You have no...concerns? Doubts?”

Rey shakes her head. “None at all. I couldn’t ask for a better husband.” 

Lord Snoke inclines his head. “That is very well. I know the first few months of any marriage can be a...trying time. You’re both still getting to know one another, trying to learn how to live alongside each other. I understand.”

_ You ought to _ , Rey thinks sardonically.  _ You’re practically an expert at marriages. _

Outwardly, she forces a smile. “Thank you, Uncle. I assure you Kylo and I are getting along with perfect ease.” She gives him a small curtsy and then leaves him standing in the middle of the hall, an unreadable expression on his face. 

.

Rey thinks about Lord Snoke and his wives for a long time after. For all four of them to die, especially when Lord Snoke himself is far from robust…

But these things happen, she supposes. People become ill. People have accidents. People die.

...but four of them? When their husband remains unharmed, unchanged? 

It isn’t that Rey thinks Lord Snoke is a murderer, or even that he’s responsible for the deaths of his wives...but in truth, she doesn’t know what to think. Maybe she’s only seeing what isn’t there. 

_ It’s this house _ , she thinks.  _ It creeps in on you. _

Nevertheless, she’s curious about the middle two wives of Lord Snoke, so she goes where everyone goes when they want to hear the best gossip: the servants’ quarters.

“Oh, aye, it were right strange, all four of ‘em dyin’,” the cook, who goes by Cook, says, kneading the dough for tomorrow’s bread. 

“How did they die?” Rey asks.

“Well, that’s the thing, innit? First Lady Snoke, see, she fell down the stairs--which always seemed odd to me, seein’ as how she was born and raised in this house, but it happens. Second Lady Snoke took terrible ill. Third Lady Snoke they said died of a heart attack, but the doctor wasn’t sure, like. She weren’t that old, neither. And the Fourth Lady Snoke took terrible ill, just like the second.”

“What was it?” Rey asks, her heart racing. “The illness.”

“Dunno--weren’t a name for it. But they both got so tired all the time they had to lie down all day, and then they started coughing up blood, and sooner or later they wasted away.”

Rey shivers. “Poor souls.”

“Poor souls indeed!” Cook exclaims. “And there Lord Snoke is, still alive and well, prancin’ around like Henry the Eighth! Oh, beggin’ your pardon, ma’am,” she says, looking suddenly stricken. “I didn’t mean nothin’ by it…”

“It’s all right,” Rey hastens to assure her. “It’s certainly suspicious, isn’t it?”

“Very,” Cook agrees, nodding. “Me, I think it’s the house. I expect you know how it got its name?”

Rey nods. “Yes.”

“I think those poor souls just got trapped here and never found their way out. I think it’s made the house rot. Not  _ rot _ , you know, but it’s...festered. Made the house sick, as it were.”

“I understand.” Could the house be haunted? A prison for those Catholic conspirators slaughtered so many years ago? Are the former Ladies Snoke trapped here too? 

That afternoon, Rey goes to the library and scours it, trying to find more information about the house and its inhabitants. As she expected, there is almost nothing about the Ladies Snoke--the closest she comes to it is a history of Henrietta Manners’s family, written by a local vicar and ending with Henrietta’s grandmother. 

It’s while she’s perusing, bored and disappointed with the results, that she finds something excessively informative on a completely different subject.

The book has a number of illustrations and descriptions of various ways in which men and women can please one another. Horrified at first, Rey soon finds that she cannot tear herself away from the book and all of its information. She sees diagrams of couples entwined in embraces she didn’t know were possible, sees images that make her rub her legs together, an exciting energy coursing through her. She imagines trying these embraces with her husband, thinking what pleasure could be derived from such a coupling. Wouldn’t that be better than simply lying there while Kylo thrusts awkwardly into her? 

And speaking of Kylo…

His nightly visits have become more sporadic. He still barely talks to her, but when he does, he’s always painfully polite, and when they make love, he’s careful and tender. He doesn’t frighten her the way he did that night, but it still looms like a shadow over them. Perhaps this is the perfect thing to get over this rough patch in their marriage. 

As they ascend to their rooms that night, she grips his arm and whispers, “Come to me tonight. Please.”

Kylo sucks in a quick breath but nods. “Very well.”

He comes to her room after she’s dressed for bed, curious. As soon as he’s atop her, she uses her legs to flip them over so that she straddles him. His eyes widen, only growing wider when she crawls down his body and reaches to undo his pants. 

“Rey,” he chokes out. “What...what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she teases, pulling his cock free. 

“You are my  _ wife _ ,” he says weakly. 

“Yes, and it’s time I bring you real pleasure.” She licks him tentatively; Kylo groans, head falling back against the pillow. Curious, she palms his cock, and to her delight, it grows larger. Slowly, she licks her way up and down it, now swirling her tongue around the head, now kissing the base, always listening for his sharp intakes of breath. Kylo’s hands fist in her hair, his breath ragged as she licks and sucks his now rock hard member. 

“I’m,” he starts to say, and then he jerks into her mouth, taking Rey by surprise. Her mouth fills with his seed, which she drinks down quickly. It tastes salty and not wholly pleasant, but when she wipes her mouth after, Kylo’s slack jaw tells her that he’s never experienced such pleasure. She smiles coyly. 

“Did that please you, darling?”

Kylo nods fervently. “Very much so.”

Rey giggles and then lies beside him. “Good.”

“Where did you…?”

“I’m an avid reader,” she says. 

Kylo closes his eyes. “By God, I hope you keep reading.”

“I learned many things,” she says slyly. “Perhaps you will let me show you? When you’ve quite recovered.”

“I don’t think that will take long,” he groans. 

And sure enough, it isn’t long before he’s hard again, his length jutting out. This time, Rey straddles his hips, guiding him into her center. She gasps as she takes him, that place between her legs feeling so much fuller from this angle. She undulates her hips until she finds the right rhythm, and then she rocks them into his. 

Kylo is an absolute mess. He writhes beneath her, fingers digging so hard into her hips that she’s sure she’ll bruise. She braces her hands on his chest, uses him for leverage as she rocks and rides. 

“Rey,” he groans. “Rey, Rey,  _ Rey _ .”

Hearing her name chanted like an incantation makes her feel powerful. She rides him harder, rides him until the tension in her belly snaps and a wave of incandescent pleasure thunders over her. She cries out, head thrown back as she clenches involuntarily around his length. Kylo cries out too, thrusting wildly up into her as he spills his seed. Not in all the times they’ve made love has this happened to them—not once has Rey found her release, nor has Kylo enjoyed his so thoroughly. 

They’re still for a long, breathless moment, and then Kylo seems to sag a little. Rey lies atop his chest, kissing the skin peeking out from his shirt. “Stay with me tonight,” she whispers. 

Kylo makes a sound that may have been meant to be words. The meaning is clear: yes. 

Rey settles against him and grins.

.

Kylo wakes her in the morning when he gets out of bed. She reaches for him sleepily and, pushing aside his rather feeble protestations, takes him in her mouth again. He comes apart in a manner of moments, gasping for breath as she swallows him down. This done, she rolls back over and falls asleep.

Rose wakes her an hour or so later when she comes in to start the day. 

“You look happy,” the maid comments as Rey rises from the bed, smiling. “Have a good dream?”

“I slept very well,” Rey says with a mysterious smile. 

At breakfast, she grins openly at Kylo, who keeps avoiding her eye in front of his uncle. Under the table, his foot touches hers. 

Lord Snoke interrupts the merriment. “I must go to town on business.”

Both Rey and Kylo look at him in surprise.

“When?” Kylo asks.

“Tomorrow.”

Husband and wife exchange looks.

“Is something the matter, Uncle?” Rey asks.

Lord Snoke shakes his head. “Nothing for you to be concerned with, only some business with my solicitor. I trust you will both manage affairs here in my absence?”

“Of course,” Kylo says, still looking surprised. 

After breakfast, Kylo follows his uncle into his study, where Rey hears raised voices. No doubt Kylo is upset that he cannot accompany his uncle on this journey to London. No matter--she’ll make it worth Kylo’s time. 


	6. Chapter 6

Lord Snoke departs with far too much ceremony, in Rey’s opinion--the staff gathers outside to see him off, which she feels is rather ridiculous. He takes Mr. Hux with him, and the last thing they see is the redhead’s pinched face through the window as the carriage departs. 

“Well,” Rey says brightly as the staff starts to disperse. “What shall we do?”

“What do you mean?” Kylo asks, eyes fixed on the departing carriage.

“I mean, what shall we do with ourselves now that your uncle isn’t here to tell you what to do?”

She didn’t mean for it to sting, but clearly it does, because Kylo turns to her with flashing eyes. “You think I take orders from him?”

Rey blinks. “I only…”

“I am my own man!” he says rather heatedly. “I don’t need my uncle!”

“I’m sorry,” she manages. “I didn’t...really, I didn’t mean...of course you’re your own man.”

Kylo strides away, around back of the house. Rey, rooted to the spot, sees him several minutes later, thundering away on his horse.

Her shoulders sag. She had hoped to get him to open up with his uncle gone. He always seems to be reserved around his uncle, afraid to speak his mind. She had thought that with Snoke gone, Kylo might be less reserved, less afraid. But then she’d gone and ruined it.

Sighing, she goes around to the stables and saddles her horse. She has to make this right. 

She finds Kylo just as the sky is beginning to darken, the threat of a storm looming on the horizon. He’s ridden nearly to the edge of the property, pacing up and down while he batters his hat. He looks up at the sound of her horse, and even from a distance she can tell he’s gritting his teeth. She gallops all the way up to him, tethering her horse beside his and striding to him.

“Kylo, I’m sorry,” she says sincerely. “I didn’t mean to imply that you’re beholden to your uncle.”

“But you think it,” he accuses.

She purses her lips. 

Suddenly, Kylo’s shoulders sag. “I suppose I am,” he says glumly. “I like to pretend I’m not, but...I owe him everything. He saved my life, you know.”

“I didn’t know.”

He nods, sitting on a fallen log. “He was there the night my parents died. It was a fire, you see. He ran to my room and carried me out, and then he went back in to try to save my parents. But it was too late for them.” Kylo releases a shaky breath. “He became my parent in all but name after that. He took me in, raised me, clothed me, fed me, educated me. I’m to inherit everything when he dies.”

“Kylo,” she says gently, “that’s what guardians are  _ supposed _ to do--it’s their responsibility. Taking care of a ward isn’t a kindness, it’s an obligation.”

Kylo shakes his head. “He did more for me than most guardians would do for their wards, and I will be forever grateful.”

Rey can see that this is going nowhere, so she only sighs and nods. A peal of thunder startles both of them, and just as a cold wind picks up, it begins to rain. 

“We should get back,” Kylo says, leaping to his feet. He helps Rey onto her horse and then mounts his own, both of them setting off for Redwall.

But the rain falls harder and harder, until neither of them can see through it, and the wind is so strong that Rey nearly topples off her horse. They’re still a long way from the house, and if they keep going like this, there’s a serious chance they’ll come to harm.

“This way!” Kylo shouts, squinting at her through the rain. “There’s shelter!”

Rey urges her horse after him, shaking her sodden hair from her eyes. It’s a ruin now, as is her dress. It’ll be a wonder if she can ever wear it again.

Kylo leads them to a small hut, beside which is a crude stable. He helps Rey down from her horse and urges her inside before tethering the horses in the stable. She stumbles into the hut, eager to get out of the rain.

This, she supposes, was once the house of a servant--a gamekeeper, perhaps. Or maybe it’s only a hunting cabin. It’s all one room--a bed, a table, a stove, a fireplace, and not much else. Someone could live here, but Rey imagines her second guess to be the more likely, and that this is only meant as a temporary home.

Kylo comes inside, closing the door behind him with a heavy sigh.

“What is this place?” she asks.

“Hunting cabin. It’s rarely ever used.” He walks to her, rubbing her arms. “You must be freezing.”

“I am,” she admits. “Perhaps we should get a fire going.” She spies firewood beside the mantel and kneels down to get a proper fire going. When she has, she leans back, smiling as the dry warmth fills the hut.

Kylo clears his throat. “I think...perhaps we ought to get out of our clothes, seeing as how damp they are…” 

Rey bites her lip, hoping he doesn’t see her blush. Of course they should get out of their clothes. They’ll catch their death if they don’t. He’s her husband and she’s his wife and they’ve lain together before. So why is she suddenly so very aware of the implications of taking off their clothes? It doesn’t mean they’re going to make love.

Unless...

Rey unbuttons her blouse with trembling fingers, untucking it from her skirt and sliding it down her arms. Kylo watches with wide eyes, his breath ragged from both the ride here and what she imagines is desire. When she reaches for her skirt, Kylo snaps into action, his big fingers fumbling with the buttons until the drenched material falls into a sodden heap at her feet. She steps out of it and turns her back to him. 

“Help me with my corset?”

He does, his breath warm on her cold, wet skin as he undoes her stays, finally releasing her from them. He tugs off her soaking underthings, tossing them in a careless pile until she’s completely bare. She shivers, turning to him with imploring eyes.

Kylo makes quick work of his own clothes, and then he’s carrying her to the bed, his mouth hot and hungry on hers. Rey moans, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. They tumble on the bed together, kissing and touching until they’re desperate for it. Then, Kylo kneels between Rey’s legs and slides into her. 

She cries out, legs wrapping instinctively around Kylo’s hips as he enters her. This takes him deep inside her, both of them groaning with the fullness of him inside her. He builds a slow rhythm, increasing his speed when Rey urges him on with the squeeze of her legs. 

This is nothing like all those times they’d lain together, nothing like those dutiful thrusts in the quiet darkness of her bedroom. This is something entirely different—here, there is passion and ardor. Kylo kisses her hungrily, bracing his hands on the bed as he rolls his hips into her. 

“Harder,” she whispers. “Oh, please, oh God…”

For the second time in as many days, she comes apart, back arching as she cries out. Kylo is swift to follow, thrusting harder and faster until he lets out a sound like a roar. 

He collapses beside her, drawing her against his chest. Rey buries herself in his embrace, warm and flushed where she had been wet and cold only minutes before. Kylo, too, is warm, his body as inviting as the fireplace and the heat that radiates from it. 

“Did you plan this?” she teases. 

“Yes. I planned the rainstorm so that we would be caught in it and have to come to this abandoned cabin.”

She laughs, kissing him. “How thoughtful of you.”

“Shall I show you what else has been in my thoughts?” he asks in a low, wolfish voice. 

“Please do.”

Kylo rolls her onto her back and then moves down her body, peppering kisses on her bare skin. He settles between her legs and, with an almost shy look at her, presses his lips to her center. Rey bites her lip, watching in breathless anticipation as his tongue slips between his lips and caresses the little bud at her entrance. She groans, stroking his hair as he licks and kisses her center, glancing at her every so often to see if what he’s doing pleases her. She writhes on the bed, fingers tangled in his hair as he brings her closer and closer. 

And then, like a thread pulled taut, she snaps, crying out as pleasure takes her a second time. Kylo laps at her, drinking her up like a man deprived of water. 

Dimly, she becomes aware of him crawling up the bed and wrapping his arms around her. 

“It looks as if you’ve been doing some reading of your own,” she whispers.

Kylo laughs. “Perhaps I have. Perhaps I wanted to return the favor my wife was so gracious to bestow on me.”

Rey turns to him, smiling. “Did you truly research how to pleasure a woman?” When he doesn’t answer right away, her face falls. “Or did you already know?”

“I didn’t,” he hastens to assure her, pulling her tighter against him. “I’ve never been with another woman.” 

Rey relaxes at that. “Then how?”

He hesitates. “It’s going to sound rather...unbelievable.”

“Tell me.”

“I, erm...paid a woman to tell me.”

Rey stares at him. “A woman?”

He flushes. “A woman of the night.”

“You paid her to  _ tell _ you?”

“In words only,” he swears. “I would have asked for her to write it out, but I wasn’t sure if she could write.”

“Kylo Ren asked a lady of the evening to show him how to please his wife. What an age we live in.”

His flush deepens. “If you’re going to laugh at me--”

“I’m not.” She turns fully in his arms, kissing the tip of his nose. “I’m touched you went to such lengths for me.”

The defensiveness is gone from his expression, but he still looks embarrassed. She kisses him, hooking one leg over his hip. She can feel him twitch against her, and it makes her smile against his lips.

“What else did she tell you?” she murmurs, grinding against him. 

“Shall I show you?”

“Please.”

And that’s how Rey finds herself on her elbows and knees, moaning deliriously into the bed as her husband thrusts so, so deep inside her. His hands grip her hips with a bruising strength, holding her still as he ruts into her. She feels dirty and wanton, wants him to fuck her until she can’t be fucked anymore. She wants this moment to never end, this feeling of him so deep inside her it’s like he’s a part of her. For the first time since their wedding night, she feels as if they really are two become one. 

_ What God has brought together, let no man tear asunder _ . 

Rey defies anyone to come between her and Kylo now.

.

They stay in the hut for hours, alternating between sleeping and making love, and all the while, the sky thunders and lightnings and pours down rain. 

Kylo’s skin is warm and smooth as it slides over Rey’s, his breath hot and sweet with the taste of her own arousal. This, Rey thinks, is what she’s been waiting for, what she’d dreamt of before they married. It makes her so happy that she thinks her face will break for smiling.

When the rain finally does let up, Rey and Kylo decide with not a little disappointment that they must return to the house. The staff will be looking for them, surely, or at least wondering where they are. And as charming as their time in the hunting cabin has been, they can’t stay here forever. 

Just to be sure, they wait until the rain has gone completely, and then they change into their clothes, which are warm and dry from the fire. Kylo laces her into her stays and she buttons his shirt, and then they pour water on the fire before heading out to the horses.

They’re about halfway back to the house when they come across Kylo’s valet, Mr. Mitaka, and the stablehand, Finn.

“We were worried you’d gotten caught in the storm, but we dared not go out in it,” Mr. Mitaka explains timidly.

Kylo inclines his head. “I’m relieved no one tried to go out in the storm. It could have been deadly. As it is, Mrs. Ren and I are perfectly safe; we found the hunting cabin and waited it out there. Shall we return to the house?”

Mr. Mitaka and Finn look surprised, but they nod and lead the way back to the house.

Rose draws a hot bath for Rey when they get back. As Rey undresses, she hears Rose suck in a breath; glancing down, Rey sees the bruises and bite marks that litter her body. 

“Oh,” she says, a trifle embarrassed.

“Perhaps it’s not my place…” Rose begins slowly.

“Please speak freely, Rose.” Rey steps into the tub, sighing in contentment when she feels how hot it is.

“Do you...enjoy it?” Rose asks, which startles Rey.

“Enjoy it?”

“It’s only...those marks, ma’am.” Rose flushes. “Didn’t they...hurt?”

“Not really,” Rey says honestly. “Actually, they felt rather nice when they were happening.”

“Well, that’s good,” Rose says in a high-pitched, embarrassed sort of voice. “Shall I wash your hair?” And without waiting for an answer, she pours a pitcher of water over Rey’s head.

.

The next few days are spent in pure bliss. Rey and Kylo spend hours just exploring one another’s bodies, learning what pleases each other. They try nearly every position in that book of Rey’s, using their bodies as they’ve never been used before. Rey likes riding Kylo, but she finds that she equally likes getting on all fours so he can take her from behind.

He surprises her in the library one day by bodily lifting her and pinning her against the shelves as he fucks her. She can only cling to him in surprised delight, panting as her hips thump rhythmically into the shelves. 

“You’re mine,” Kylo growls, sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. He wraps a hand in her hair, pulling it free from its bun. “Say it.”

“I’m yours,” she gasps, meeting his thrusts. “I’m yours, I’m yours, I’m yours.”

.

Everything seems better and somehow brighter with Lord Snoke gone. Even when Rey is not making love to her husband, even when she is alone, she feels that it is easier to breathe. Kylo, too, seems brighter. Freer. Rey always assumed that the two men were close. Perhaps they’re not as close as Rey imagined. 

She asks Kylo about it one night, tucked into his side as they’re drifting off to sleep. 

“Are you close with your uncle?”

She can tell from the way he stiffens beside her that he’s fully awake now. 

“I know he saved you,” she explains. “And I know you feel you owe him a lot, but are you  _ close _ ?”

Kylo takes a long moment to answer. “I don’t know,” he says honestly. “We keep no secrets from one another...but…” He doesn’t finish. 

“But what?” she presses. 

He shakes his head. “It’s nothing. We are close.”

“Aren’t you ever afraid of him?”

Kylo sucks in a breath. 

“It’s alright if you are,” she says quickly. “It doesn’t make you ungrateful or a bad nephew.”

Kylo is so quiet that she thinks he’s fallen asleep. But then, she hears it.

“Yes.”

.

She wakes in the morning to find Kylo lying on his side, staring at her. She flushes, reaching up to smooth what she’s sure is a rat’s nest on her head. 

“What is it?”

“You,” he says simply. “You’re...perfect.”

“I’m not,” she says, baffled. He hasn’t spoken like this since they first met. 

“You are,” he says firmly. “You’re so perfect.” His face becomes sad. “And I don’t deserve you.”

“Of course you do!” she cries in surprise. 

He shakes his head. “You care so much for me, and I…” He shakes his head again. “You’re simply too good for me.”

“I assure you I’m not.”

“I don’t want to spoil the morning with an argument,” he says, the corner of his mouth quirking. “I’d much rather spend it doing other things.”

“Like what?” she asks breathlessly as he moves over her. 

“Like this.” He enters her smoothly, drawing a long moan out of her. Rey wraps her arms around his shoulders, meeting his thrusts as they fall into a steady rhythm. 

The door opens. “Morning ma’am—oh!” Rose squeaks, ducking out of the room. 

Rey giggles when the door shuts behind the maid, but Kylo pulls away from her with a morose expression. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Now they’ll all talk,” he sighs. “The servants.”

“I should imagine they were talking anyway.”

He looks at her with a pained expression. “What if my uncle finds out?”

Rey doesn’t understand. “What if he finds out that we’ve been lying together as husband and wife?”

“We’ve been...careless.”

Rey starts to feel angry. “We haven’t done anything worth being embarrassed about. It’s not your uncle’s business anyway.”

Kylo lets out a huff of laughter. “Everything’s his business.” He gets up, reaching for his clothes. “I shall see you at breakfast.”

She sits up. “Kylo…”

He doesn’t look at her, just leaves her room. 

Why, oh why had Rose burst in when she did! If she hadn’t, Kylo would be inside Rey by now, and they’d be happy and free of the shadow of his uncle.

Rey hates the old man in that moment. She’s never been overly fond of him, but now she hates him. Why should he make Kylo so afraid? Why should he be so present in their marriage?

.

Breakfast is a quiet affair. Rey has decided she will not speak to Kylo until he apologizes for leaving her the way he did this morning, but he seems wholly absorbed in his eggs and does not seem concerned at all with what transpired. It irritates her so much that she goes riding immediately after breakfast, determined to ride off her frustrated energy.

When she’s exhausted from thundering across the property, she heads back, and feels a surge of triumph when she sees Kylo at the stables, a worried look on his face. So, he’s come to apologize. She dismounts in a huff, raising an eyebrow at him.

But something’s wrong. He’s holding a piece of paper and taking deep breaths.

“My dear, I don’t know how to say this...but it appears that your guardian, Unkar Plutt...has died.”

Rey sinks to the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

There had been an accident in the mines. Unkar, who almost never ventured into them, had gone to inspect something, and the tunnel had collapsed on him and the miners who were with him. Their bodies have not yet been recovered, and at this rate, it will be a while before they are.

Rey can’t believe it. Unkar knew those mines like the back of his hand, and they killed him. She knows such things happen. How many men had died in those tunnels in her lifetime? But for it to happen to Unkar, of all people...

Rey doesn’t quite know how to feel. On the one hand, she never cared for Unkar and had seriously contemplated running away from him. On the other, he raised her and was the closest thing she had to a family for so many years, and it’s hard not to feel a little sorrowful when she remembers that. 

Kylo writes to his uncle before he and Rey head to Niima. They make it just in time for the funeral, for which the entire town turns out. It’s not that they mourn Unkar, Rey thinks; it’s because they want her to remember them when she takes over the mines. 

Lord. She always knew she would inherit the mines someday, but she hadn’t expected it to be so soon. 

What will she do? She can hardly manage the mines from Redwall. She supposes she could divide her time, spend a few weeks in Niima, a month or two at Redwall. Maybe it would do Kylo good to come with her and get away from his uncle now and then. He had been so different in the days they’d been courting, so full of passion. She wants to bring that Kylo out again. 

On the other hand, she  _ hates _ Niima, and the idea of living there, even for a few weeks here and there, is depressing. After wishing so hard she could leave, is she to be forever chained to it?

She could always sell the mines. They have no emotional attachment for her. She could sell them and add to the Redwall fortune and never have to set foot in Niima again if she so chose. Lord Snoke would no doubt be pleased. Perhaps it would even be enough to buy a house in London where she and Kylo could spend the season. Then they could get away from Lord Snoke once in a while and live a life of their own.

She asks Kylo about it when they get ready for bed. It feels strange to have her husband in the room she had growing up, to see him surrounded by her girlish things. 

“Sell the mines?” he asks in some surprise. 

“I don’t want to manage them. It would mean coming back to Niima,” she explains. “But if we could sell them…”

“We should speak to my uncle about this,” he says placidly. 

Rey’s jaw clenches. Of course. Can’t do anything without  _ Lord Snoke’s _ seal of approval.

.

The old man comes from London as soon as he receives Kylo’s letter. 

“I’m terribly sorry, my dear,” he says as soon as he arrives. “What a dreadful thing to happen.”

“Thank you,” she says stiffly.

“To lose your guardian in such a tragic accident...terrible.” He grasps her hand, and she resists the urge to shudder. “I trust my nephew has been a source of comfort to you.”

“Very much so.”

If anything, Kylo seems to be taking Unkar’s death harder than Rey. He’s been unusually quiet, staring off into space for long stretches of time and looking melancholy. She wonders if he’s reminded of his parents and how easy it is to lose someone, how suddenly death takes those around us. Maybe it isn’t Unkar he’s thinking about, but his uncle or Rey or even himself. 

“Have you met with the solicitors yet?” Lord Snoke asks.

Rey blinks. “Oh, no...not yet.”

Lord Snoke sighs. “Then you’d better brace yourself, my dear.”

She furrows her brow. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

.

There are so many trifling details regarding Unkar’s death--from his burial to his will to everything  _ not _ covered in the will. And Rey has to deal with all of it. It’s tiresome, and she has half a mind to take Lord Snoke up on his offer to handle everything...but she knows that Unkar would want her to deal with all of it personally, so she forces herself to sit with the solicitor for hours at a time. Kylo is by her side for all of it, and Lord Snoke insists on being there as well, which makes her feel oddly better. At least two men with a head for business are here to make sure she’s doing the right thing. 

Rey decides to sell the house in Niima and hire a man to run things until she can figure out what she wants to do about the mines. She has no intention of asking for Lord Snoke’s advice. She’ll decide what to do all on her own. 

They’re finishing up the last of the business, finally, when the solicitor mentions, “You ought to consider drawing up a will of your own, madam.”

The air changes. Kylo and Lord Snoke visibly stiffen.

“I suppose I should,” Rey says, wondering what on earth has gotten into her husband and uncle to make them so uneasy. 

“We can arrange that later,” Lord Snoke says. “I think we’ve had enough of wills for the time being.” 

Rey can’t exactly argue with that logic. She sees the solicitor to the door and thanks him for all of his assistance, even if it had really been more of a headache than a help to her. 

“So, back to Cumberland, is it?” he asks her.

“Yes; I shall be glad to go back.”

“Certainly, especially after this unfortunate business.” The man sighs. “Do they know yet if they’ll be able to dig out the bodies?”

“It’s unlikely.” Some of the men from the mines had told her as much. Unkar and the others who’d been in that collapsed tunnel would likely remain there for some time to come. 

He shakes his head. “Dreadful. How you can bear it…”

“We all manage,” she says diplomatically. 

He dons his hat and tips it to her. “I wish you the best of luck, Mrs. Ren.”

“Thank you.” She closes the door and leans against it, sighing. 

It’s over.

The funeral, Unkar’s will, the business with the mines...it’s all over. She can finally go home to Redwall and take a much-needed rest. 

“Let’s go home,” she says to Kylo and Lord Snoke.

Kylo takes her lovingly by the shoulders. “Are you certain? There’s nothing here you don’t wish to--”

“I’m  _ quite _ sure. I only want to go home.”

He kisses her forehead. “Then home we shall go.”

.

The sight of Redwall is a welcome one as the carriage pulls up. The staff gathers outside again as they had that first day, and seeing their familiar faces makes Rey feel that she is really and truly home again. She has Rose draw her a hot bath to wash away the dust of travel; it leaves her feeling calm and refreshed. 

“How are you faring, ma’am?” Rose asks as she washes Rey’s hair.

“Better, now that I’m home.” Rey sighs. “How has Redwall been?”

“Oh, just the same, ma’am. Quiet, of course, without the four of you.”

“The four of us?” Rey asks in some surprise. 

“Yes--you, Mr. Ren, Lord Snoke, and Mr. Hux.”

“Mr. Hux wasn’t with us,” Rey says.

Rose furrows her brow. “But he went to London with Lord Snoke.”

Rey thinks back...and realizes that Rose is right. Mr. Hux  _ had _ gone to London with Lord Snoke, but he hadn’t gone to Niima. “Perhaps he stayed in London on business.”

“I suppose,” Rose says. “I don’t like him much.”

“Why not?” Rey asks, though she, too, dislikes the man. They rarely interact, but when they do, he always seems on the verge of sneering. 

Rose shrugs. “He isn’t very kind. Thinks he’s above everyone else because he’s Lord Snoke’s valet.”

“I see.” That certainly fits into what little Rey knows about him. 

After her bath, Rey takes her tea down in the parlor as usual. Kylo and Lord Snoke are going over the business that they missed in their absence, and though Rey can’t imagine it was very much, she’s glad of the opportunity to be alone. She hasn’t been alone once since going to Niima, and she finds that she’s able to really breathe again. She eats her scones and drinks her tea with a serene air, pleased to go undisturbed.

Until, of course, there’s a knock on the door, followed by Mrs. Phasma’s appearance. “Forgive the interruption, Mrs. Ren, but there’s a man at the door most insistent to speak to you. I believe he’s from the mines.”

Rey sets down her teacup, wondering who on earth would have come up from Niima and what they want with her. “Do show him in.”

Mrs. Phasma nods and disappears. A moment later a man walks through the door.

Rey’s heart stops.

For standing in front of her is Unkar Plutt.

.

It takes Rey a long moment to recover. When she does, she starts to rise, finds that her knees are too wobbly to support her, and plops back down in her seat.

“Unkar?” she says hoarsely.

He’s filthy, dirt and sweat forming an unpleasant grime on his skin and clothes. He looks like one of his miners.

“Give us some of that,” he croaks, stomping towards the tea set. He shoves a scone in his mouth and then takes her cup of tea, which he downs at once. 

“What’s going on?” she asks, frightened.

“Let me wet my whistle and I’ll tell you.”

She sits back, watching in horrified fascination as this supposedly dead man eats and drinks from her own tea tray. 

When he’s had his fill, he sits on the chair across from her and wipes his mouth. “All right. Suppose I start from the beginning.”

“Please do,” she says, eyes wide.

Unkar takes a deep breath. “Not long after your husband and Lord Snoke came to Niima, I hired a new miner. He was from up north, he said, and had worked as a laborer before. Went by the name of Tom. He was fine--he did his share, was quick to learn. One night he comes to the house and says there’s terrible trouble in the mines. I took him and a few lads down the tunnel. This bastard throws Johnny Hardy against the wall and then does the same to Harvey Whittle, knocking them both out cold. He got to me before I could get away and I went the same way as Johnny and Harvey.” He takes a deep breath. “When I came to, I was covered in rubble. The tunnel had collapsed, or near enough. I was all right, though. I dug my way out and emerged in the middle of the night. I laid low for a few days, because I knew this Tom, if that’s even his name, wanted me dead. And then I became afraid of what would happen if I showed myself at all, so I stowed away on the train and walked from the station to here.”

“Unkar...are you saying a man collapsed the tunnel to  _ murder _ you?” she asks in disbelief.

“Why else?” he asks rather defensively. 

She makes a helpless gesture. “What possible reason would he have for it?”

“I know what happened!” Unkar snaps. “That man tried to kill me, and he nearly succeeded.”

Rey bites her lip. It’s not that she doesn’t believe him, but... “But to what end?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know, lass, but the fact is that he wanted me dead.”

“I must tell Kylo,” she says. “He’ll know how to handle this.” 

Unkar nods. “Aye, tell him, and that lordly uncle of his.”

Rey rings the bell, and a moment later, Mrs. Phasma appears. 

“Mrs. Phasma, I wonder if you would be so good as to bring my husband and Lord Snoke here immediately.”

Mrs. Phasma looks surprised. “I believe they do not wish to be disturbed--”

“Tell them it is a matter of great urgency. Tell them it is a matter of life and death.”

Mrs. Phasma’s surprise only grows, but at a firm look from Rey, she nods and disappears. 

When Kylo and Lord Snoke enter, their shock is palpable. Rey makes Unkar repeat what he told her to his new audience, who take it all in with pale faces.

“We must do something,” Rey says. “Immediately.” While it’s true she isn’t overly fond of her guardian, she certainly doesn’t believe he deserved an attempted murder. She feels a bit sick, wondering if his would-be assassin will come after her or Kylo next. 

It all comes back to one question: why? Why would anyone want to kill Unkar? Even if Tom was disgruntled with Unkar as an employer, murder is extreme. Clearly Tom had another motive. But what? What would anyone want with a dead Unkar?

“Yes,” Lord Snoke says curiously. “We must.” He rings the bell, once again summoning Mrs. Phasma. “Have Mr. Plutt taken to one of the guest rooms, and see that a bath and fresh clothes are readied for him.”

Mrs. Phasma eyes Unkar dubiously but says, “Of course, sir.” 

“Perhaps you would be so good as to give him especial treatment,” Lord Snoke says with significance.

Mrs. Phasma’s face goes blank. “Of course, sir.”

“You shall be well taken care of here, Mr. Plutt,” Lord Snoke assures his guest. 

Unkar grasps his hand with both of his dirty ones. “Thank you, Lord Snoke! I cannot thank you enough--”

“Yes,” Lord Snoke says, withdrawing his hand with a look of distaste. “Mrs. Phasma will show you to your room.”

As soon as Unkar is gone, Lord Snoke turns to Kylo and Rey. “This is serious indeed.” 

“It is,” Rey says, glad he agrees. “We have to get to the bottom of this.”

Kylo and Lord Snoke exchange a look.

“Leave everything to me,” the older man says. “I have resources.”

“What about his will? Everything that’s in it--”

“Leave it to me,” Lord Snoke says again. “If someone wishes him dead, it would be wise to keep him hidden for a time. Perhaps with time, the reasons for his assassination attempt will become clear.”

This sounds as good a plan as any, so Rey decides to leave Unkar in Lord Snoke’s capable hands. The older man goes out and up to his study, leaving Rey and Kylo in the parlor. 

“Why do you think someone wants to kill him?” she asks as soon as they’re alone.

Kylo shakes his head. “I don’t know. An old grudge, perhaps.”

“Perhaps.” But Rey can’t think of anyone with whom Unkar has a grudge--not one to warrant murder, anyway. “Perhaps the men he cheated the mines out of want revenge.”

“That could be,” Kylo says with wide eyes. “Perhaps they fell on hard times and blame Unkar for it.”

“It’s as good a guess as any.”

“Still,” she says, voice wavering, “murder seems so...extreme.”

“Perhaps the grudge festered.”

“Perhaps.”

They sit in silence for a long moment, Rey trying to make sense of it all.

“Kylo?”

“Mm?”

“Do you think they’re going to come after us next?” She doesn’t mean to sound frightened, but it slips out anyway.

He straightens up in his seat. “Why do you think that?”

“I mean to say...what if this is more involved than we think?” She licks her lips. “What if they want to kill me next?”

“They won’t. I won’t let them,” Kylo says firmly, coming to sit beside her. He wraps his arms around her, drawing her against his chest. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Rey nestles into his chest. “What if they try to hurt you?” she mumbles into his jacket.

“I know you won’t let them.”

She looks up at him and smiles. Kylo leans down and kisses her sweetly.

They haven’t been this affectionate in a while. Unkar’s funeral had put a damper on the heat of their sexual exploration, and though they shared a bed, they rarely did more than fall asleep beside each other. She’s eager to get back into bed,  _ her _ bed, with him, Unkar and his attempted murder be damned. Let Kylo protect her from the safety of her room, from the safety of his arms. She just wants to be with her husband again.

“I’ve missed you,” Kylo whispers, echoing her thoughts. “I want you.”

Rey giggles. “Then let’s go upstairs and--”

“No. Not upstairs.” He’s already reaching under her skirt. “Here.”

“ _ Here _ ?” she hisses, eyes wide. “Kylo, we’re in the  _ parlor _ , anyone could walk in…”

“I know,” he says with a boyish grin. “That’s what makes it so exciting.”

And Rey, curse her, feels a wave of desire at that thought, the thought of the servants or even Lord Snoke walking in on them rutting like two animals in heat. She flushes madly, the flush only deepening when Kylo urges her to lie down on the settle. She does, breath hitching as he pushes aside her skirts and removes her drawers. They’re really doing this, right here, right now. It excites her, urges her to help Kylo shrug out of his jacket and undo his pants. And then he’s pushing inside her, his cock stretching her so far that she can hardly breathe. She wraps her legs around his waist, fingers tangling in his hair as he lowers his head to kiss her. 

This is absolutely filthy, probably the filthiest thing they’ve ever done and they aren’t even in a very exciting position. The parlor is one of the least private rooms in the house, and even if Unkar and Lord Snoke stay firmly upstairs, there’s always the possibility of Mrs. Phasma or one of the maids coming in, maybe even Finn or Poe to stoke the fire. She moans at the thought, canting her hips to meet his.

When Kylo reaches between them to stroke her, she’s done for. She sinks her teeth into his shoulder, muffling her jagged cries in the muscle there. Spurred on by her own release, Kylo quickly follows, his hips slamming hers into the settle.

After, she uses her own petticoats to wipe at the mess between her thighs before she pulls her drawers back up her legs. She feels filthy and wanton and happy.

Until a scream from upstairs curdles the blood in her veins.

“What…?”

“Stay here,” Kylo says, already leaping up to investigate, but Rey has no intention of remaining here alone. She follows him up the stairs, gripping the back of his shirt as they reach the second floor.

One of the maids, Kaydel, is sitting on the floor, sobbing. 

“He’s dead!” she shrieks when she sees Rey and Kylo. “He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead!”

Rey’s mouth goes dry. She doesn’t have to ask Kaydel, but she does have to see for herself. 

She walks past the sobbing girl, ignoring Kylo’s calls to wait, and feels a chill unlike any other rock her entire body.

For lying there, in his bathtub, eyes wide and glassy, is Unkar.

And this time, he’s really and truly dead.


	8. Chapter 8

Kylo and Mr. Hux examine the body while Rey waits downstairs. Mrs. Phasma made her lie back and keep a cold compress to her head. 

Whoever tried to murder Unkar before came back, and they succeeded. 

_ But who _ ? Who followed him from Niima? And how did they know not only that he hadn’t died in the mines, but that he was stowing away on a train?

Rey can only think of one logical explanation: whoever tried to kill him came to Redwall with the intent of killing her or Kylo or Lord Snoke, saw Unkar, and decided to finish him off for good this time. 

And all the while, she’d been fucking her husband one floor below, behaving like a wanton little hussy. 

_ You didn’t know what was going to happen _ , she soothes herself.  _ You thought everything was all right and you lay with your husband and there’s no shame in that. _

It doesn’t stop the shame from welling up anyway. 

_ He’s really dead, _ she thinks numbly. It hadn’t quite sunk in the first time because she hadn’t seen a body, but  _ really _ seeing him dead...it’s left her rather shaken up.

The parlor door opens and Rey sits up quickly, keeping the compress against her head. It’s Kylo and Lord Snoke, both of them looking grave. 

“It would appear that Unkar was strangled,” Kylo says, taking the seat beside her.

Well, she suspected that much. “By whom?” 

“We don’t know. Whoever it was left before the maid found him.” 

“But how did they find out he was here? And,” she swallows, “how did they get in?”

“That’s what we’re going to try to figure out,” Kylo assures her. 

“They’re going to come for me next,” she says, her voice rising hysterically. “They could still be in the house. They couldn’t have known he was here, they came for me, they’re going to kill me--”

Kylo takes her face in his hands. “No one is going to kill you,” he says vehemently. “I promise.”

Lord Snoke clears his throat. “I can see things are getting rather emotional. Perhaps you ought to lie down, Rey.”

“How am I supposed to lie down when there’s a  _ murderer _ running around this house?” she grates out. 

“As my nephew has assured you, he will let nothing happen to you.” Lord Snoke sounds almost...sarcastic. As if he thinks Rey is getting upset over nothing. How can he act so calm? A man was murdered  _ in his home _ . Someone who might mean him harm. How can he not be afraid? 

_ Because he knows who the killer is _ . 

The thought is sudden, but...right. Snoke would only not be afraid of the killer if he knew who the killer was and their intentions, which means that the killer isn’t after Lord Snoke. It means that Lord Snoke is behind it.

She’s in the same room as a murderer.

She remembers that Lord Snoke had four wives, and all of them died. Two of them from the same illness. Could that illness have been poison?

And is Rey next?

“Perhaps you’re right,” she says faintly. “Perhaps I should go lie down.” 

Kylo moves to help her, but a sudden, terrifying thought occurs to her:  _ what if Kylo is helping him?  _

“I’ll be alright,” she murmurs, shaking off his hands and slipping out the door. 

Her heart pounds as she slowly ascends the stairs. Lord Snoke knows who the killer is and almost definitely sent them to kill Unkar. Unless...unless Lord Snoke  _ is _ the killer.

But that doesn’t seem likely. Lord Snoke doesn’t seem the sort of man to dirty his own hands. Besides, Rey doubts that he’d have the strength to strangle a neck as meaty as Unkar’s. No, more likely he had this Tom person or another servant dispose of Unkar. Probably a servant, one who helped him kill the Ladies Snoke.

As she lies down on her bed, she wonders again: why? Why would Lord Snoke possibly want to kill Unkar? He may not have been overly fond of the other man, but to  _ kill _ him? What good would that do?

_ The mines _ , she realizes. 

She can’t believe she was such a fool as to not realize it from the beginning.

When all of Lord Snoke’s wives died, he, in turn, received their wealth. He even admitted to her that Redwall was the property of his first wife. He had had all of them killed. But four wives is too many, and he must have known that someone would be suspicious, because instead of trying to find another wife for himself, he made Kylo do it. And Kylo had courted her and swept her off her feet so that she had no choice but to fall in love with him and marry him. That was around the same time Unkar had hired “Tom.”

Rey remembers with shame the way she and Unkar had appeared at the Lion and Unicorn in their fine clothes, Unkar bragging about his mines to win over Lord Snoke. Lord Snoke had already been won over, he’d simply wanted to know more before he decided whether to pursue this course of action or not. They’d been so foolish, to walk straight into that trap.

And now Unkar is dead and the mines belong to Rey, and because she hasn’t drawn up a will, they will automatically pass to her husband upon her death. Which means…

Rey hears a sound outside and holds her breath. Her door opens slowly and she feigns sleep.

“Mrs. Ren?” Mrs. Phasma calls softly.

If Rey rolls over now, what will happen? Will Mrs. Phasma try to kill her? Or will she simply have a question? No--there’s no way the housekeeper would interrupt her mistress’s nap like this. She’s going to try to kill her.

_ The same way she killed Unkar _ . 

“Poor little fool,” Mrs. Phasma whispers, and now Rey is sure that she’s the murderess. She’s a tall, strong woman--stronger than Lord Snoke. “Had no idea what you were getting yourself into, did you?” She takes the pillow from beside Rey.

“I’m a quick learner,” Rey says, and rolls off the bed just as Mrs. Phasma starts to reach down with the pillow. The other woman lets out a shout of surprise; Rey gets to her feet, looking madly about the room. Mrs. Phasma comes around for her, but Rey leaps onto the bed. Mrs. Phasma grips her ankle, tugging until Rey falls on the mattress. Mrs. Phasma climbs onto it, pillow still in hand. She deflects Rey’s kicks and then slaps the younger woman across the face. Rey’s head whips to the side, her mouth falling open in shock.

“ _ DON’T TOUCH HER _ !”

Both Rey and Mrs. Phasma look up in surprise as Kylo enters, eyes wide and wild. He runs to Mrs. Phasma, bodily throwing her off of Rey.

“What are you doing?!” Mrs. Phasma shouts. “We have to  _ kill _ her!”

“You will do no such thing!” Kylo snaps. “Rey…” He comes towards her, but Rey rolls off the bed again, this time to the side closest to the door, and darts around him. She doesn’t know what sort of game Kylo’s playing, but she’s absolutely not going to let him win. She runs down, down, down the stairs--

\--and into the waiting arms of Mr. Hux.

“Let me go!” she shrieks, thrashing as he whirls her around, pressing her back to his chest. 

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Mr. Hux sneers. “I’ve been waiting a long time to do this.”

“Do it quickly,” Lord Snoke says, and Rey realizes he’s standing at the parlor door, watching uneasily. “She’s already made enough of a racket, the servants will suspect something.”

“ _ LET GO OF HER _ !” Kylo shrieks, thundering down the stairs. 

Mr. Hux is distracted enough that Rey delivers a swift kick to his shin; his grip on her loosens and she tears off down the corridor, stumbling through the kitchens and lunging out the service door. It’s a short distance to the stables, and she sprints there, all but hurling herself inside.

Rose, Finn, and Poe are all sitting around a table, laughing, but they look up in surprise at her abrupt entrance.

“Ma’am?” Rose asks, leaping to her feet. “What can I--”

“Hide me,” Rey begs. “Please. He’s going to…”

The three servants need no urging; Finn shows her to an empty stall and, when she’s flung herself on the hay, throws a blanket over her, and not a moment too soon, because she hears the thunder of footsteps almost as soon as he does.

“Where is she?” Mr. Hux demands breathlessly.

“Where is who?” Poe asks with confusion.

“Mrs. Ren! Where is she?”

“I believe she’s having her tea, sir,” Rose says politely.

“Damn you, I know she came this way!”

“Mrs. Ren hasn’t gone on a ride yet today,” Finn says. “But I can have her horse saddled and ready if that’s what you wish.”

Mr. Hux lets out a sound of frustration and then storms off. Rey remains hidden until Rose pulls back the blanket, peering at her with wide eyes.

“Ma’am, what’s the matter?”

“They’re trying to kill me,” Rey whispers. “They kill all the wives and take their money, and I’m next.”

Rose’s face hardens. “No you’re not. We won’t let anything happen to you. You’ll stay here until it’s dark, and then we’ll hie you away.”

“Thank you,” Rey sobs.

“Best be quiet and stay hidden until then,” Rose says gently, and Rey nods.

Hours pass with her hidden in the hay. She hears Mr. Hux and Mrs. Phasma take horses to go look for her. She hears Kylo do the same a little while later, speaking in a low voice and asking Finn and Poe not to tell anyone. She could almost believe that he really doesn’t want to hurt her.

But how could he not? After everything that’s passed, he’s just as responsible for this as Lord Snoke. He wooed her and married her all with the intention of killing her so that he and his blasted uncle would have the blasted mines. Who’s to say this isn’t an elaborate ploy to make her let her guard down only for him to kill her?

Rey wakes when Finn gently shakes her. 

“Ma’am? It’s night.”

“Thank you,” she says blearily. Her head is in a fog, but the bread, cheese, and coffee that Finn and Poe serve her helps clear it. 

“What’s going on?”

“They gave up looking for you for the night,” Poe reports. “They’ve interrogated the staff, but no one’s seen you, so they aren’t of any help.” 

“Poe and I were talking, and we think it might be best to hide you out here for a few more days,” Finn says apologetically. “It’ll look suspicious if we leave now, and Mr. Hux will be watching us like a hawk.” 

“Here in the stables?” she asks, forcing her tired mind to think.

“Unless you have a better hiding spot.”

And then it hits her. “I do,” she says. “The perfect spot.”

.

It’s a long walk across the property. Rey keeps the blanket wrapped solidly around her to stave off the night chill, but the longer she walks, the warmer she gets, until the blanket dangles loosely from her elbows. 

The hunting cabin is exactly as she and Kylo left it, rumpled bed sheets and all. She collapses onto it, exhausted from what has got to be the longest day of her life. It’s hard to believe that only this morning, she was in Niima. 

Too tired to do anything, even undress, she falls asleep almost at once and stays that way for a long time.

.

She wakes in the early afternoon, her body sore from the exertion of the previous day. 

Her legs cramp when she tries to move, and she spends several painstaking moments massaging them.

When the pain clears, she sits up in bed, taking stock of her surroundings. Everything is exactly as it was last night. The shades are drawn as they are whenever the cabin is unoccupied, so she’ll be able to move around without fear of being seen. Mr. Hux likely already checked this cabin in his search for her, so it’s unlikely he’ll return. There’s running water, which means she won’t have to go out in search of any. It’s summer, so she won’t need any firewood. The food she brought with her last night will last her for a couple of days, maybe three or four if she stretches it, but she knows Rose or Finn or Poe will come out soon with something. They’re the only three that know where she is.

She lies back, staring at the ceiling. She doesn’t know what to do or where to go from here. The proper thing would be to tell the authorities that her uncle-in-law is a murderer, but would they believe her? Lord Snoke is a lord, a wealthy man with influence. Then again, he won all that wealth and influence through his marriages, all of which terminated when his wives died. If they can find Unkar’s body, there will be no question of when he died or how he got to Cumberland when he was supposed to be trapped in a mine in Niima. So there’s evidence--at least enough to form a suspicion. She’s sure the authorities can handle the rest.

But still...what if they don’t believe her? What if they think her hysterical, or so deep in grief for her guardian that she’s inventing stories? Then they’ll either return her to Redwall, where she’ll be killed, or they’ll lock her away somewhere, in which case Lord Snoke will still get what he wants.

And what about Kylo? He had thwarted Mrs. Phasma’s murder attempt and had tried to interrupt Mr. Hux’s, which surely counts for something. But again, what if it was just an elaborate ploy to lower her defenses? 

But it doesn’t make sense. Mrs. Phasma very nearly killed Rey. What would be the point of interrupting that attempt only to kill her himself?

Is it possible Kylo doesn’t really want her dead after all? That he was unaware of his uncle’s machinations? No, he must have known about them--he’d married Rey, after all. He’d even distracted Rey in the parlor while someone (her guess is Mrs. Phasma) strangled Unkar in the bathtub. 

Rey’s cheeks burn with shame. She’d behaved so foolishly, giving herself to Kylo and wanting him the way she did. Even if he doesn’t want her to die, that doesn’t mean that he loved her as he said he did. He must have thought her a perfect little fool for falling for all his talk of love. She realizes now that he must have had her in the parlor to prevent her from going upstairs. That way, she wouldn’t have heard Unkar’s death or interrupted it in any way. Stupid, stupid girl.

After a while, her stomach begins to rumble, so she reaches for the food Rose had snuck her from the kitchen. She eats an apple and resists the urge to eat anything else. There’s no telling how long she’ll have to hide here, or how long it will be before someone is able to bring her more food. It could be days. 

The thought of having to hide here for days, unable to leave the hut, only having a few pieces of bread and cheese and one apple to sustain her, upsets her greatly. 

_ Better this than dying, _ she has to remind herself. 

She spends hours just lying on the bed or walking listlessly around the hut’s small confines. There’s nothing to do, not even read. She supposes she could clean. She could scrub the floors with the brush in the cabinet and the soap by the sink. But then there would be no way for her to wash her hands or face or the rest of her if she needed a wash. So she doesn’t clean. She just lies back and stares at the ceiling and ponders her situation.

.

Finn comes at night, startling her awake. He walked so as not to draw suspicion, which is both why Rey didn’t hear him and why it’s so late when he arrives. 

“They’re still looking for you, though Mr. Hux is starting to give up,” he tells her as Rey eagerly eats the roast chicken he’d brought her. “They think you may have already left the area.”

“So what are they going to do?” Rey asks. “It’s not as if they can search for me without revealing why I went missing.”

“I think they can, ma’am,” Finn says, lowering his eyes. “Lord Snoke is...crafty.”

Rey sighs. “I suppose you’re right. What do you think we should do?”

“Lay low a few more days, and then send you to America.”

She stares at him. “ _ America _ ?”

“Lord Snoke’s influence reaches all over Great Britain,” Finn explains. “And thousands of people emigrate every day. You could lose yourself in the masses, take a new name and start a new life.”

Rey has been so preoccupied with her present that she hasn’t thought about her future, and, well...it isn’t a bad idea, this running away and moving to America business. She could do it. She could become a maid or a shop girl the way she’d once envisioned. She could even become a governess or a school teacher. She could be anyone or anything. 

“It’s a good idea,” she allows. “Thank you, Finn.”

He smiles. “I should be getting back...will you be alright, ma’am?”

“I think so. Thank you again.”

Finn takes his leave of her. 

The hour is late, but Rey is too excited to sleep. In just a few days, she could be on her way to America. She could be far away from here. And Kylo and Lord Snoke can just go to their graves worrying whether she’ll tell their secret. 

Kylo. What a mess he’s gotten her into. 

.

Rey wakes in the early afternoon again, this time with a sense of optimism. Yes, her husband and his uncle are murderers, but she’s about to escape from them. Just a little longer, a little more patience, and she’ll be in the clear. 

She’s thinking again about all she could do in America when the door to the hut opens. 

Standing there is Kylo Ren. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi I'm a dumbass who forgot that this fic has nine chapters instead of ten so...here's the last chapter. Thank you guys so, so much for reading this--reading your comments is my favorite part of the week. My next fic is going to be very different from this one--very fluffy and very little plot, but I hope you'll read it all the same.

“You!” Rey cries, looking around for a weapon or some means of escape. 

Kylo raises a hand. “Rey, I can explain everything.”

“Explain that you and your uncle are thieving murderers, you mean!”

“I don’t deny that my uncle is a murderer and I’ve helped him,” Kylo says, and that makes her pause. “Nor do I deny that my wealth once belonged to other people. But please, let me explain all of this.”

Rey hesitates. “Why should I trust you?”

“If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have interrupted Mrs. Phasma trying to kill you,” he points out. 

And, well, no, he wouldn’t have, would he? 

“What do you want?”

Kylo takes a deep breath. “To set things right.”

Rey turns this over in her head. After a long moment, she nods.

Kylo visibly sags in relief, shutting the door behind him. He takes one of the seats at the scrubbed wooden table, and after a moment’s consideration, Rey takes the other. 

Kylo takes a deep breath. “The first thing you should know is that my name isn’t Kylo Ren. Not really. It’s Ben Solo.”

Rey stares at him. “ _ What _ ?”

Kylo--Ben--whoever he is--says, “The fire I told you about, the one that killed my family...it wasn’t an accident. Snoke started it.”

“And you knew this whole time?”

He shakes his head. “I only just figured it out. You see, around the time I met you, I received a letter from my uncle. An uncle I’d never heard of. His name was Luke Skywalker. He told me that he’d been in India when the fire happened and, upon reaching out to my parents’ solicitors, learned that I’d been taken in by a male relation. This confused him, as he was my next of kin, but he assumed it was a distant cousin or some such, and as he lived in India, felt it would be better for me to be raised in England. He lost track of me over the years, which is in large part because Snoke made me change my name. At the time, he said it was to protect me from the ignominy of the fire--now I realize he was trying to hide me from Luke. When Luke’s letter reached me, he announced that he had retired to America and wondered if he could finally meet me. He asked, too, about the male relation. I explained that it was my mother’s brother, Lord Snoke.” Ben pauses. “Last week, when we thought Unkar died, I received another letter from Luke. He said that he was my mother’s only brother and had no idea who Lord Snoke was.”

Rey presses a hand to her mouth. “Oh  _ no _ …”

Ben nods. “I spent that whole week thinking it over. You see...I had always sort of known Snoke was murdering his wives. He had Mrs. Phasma suffocate Georgiana not long after I graduated from university. The doctors called it a heart attack, but somehow, I just  _ knew _ . And then, of course, there was Elizabeth.”

“What about Elizabeth?” Rey whispers.

He takes a deep, shaky breath. “Snoke kept...giving her this tea. He said it was for her nerves, but I saw that it made her sicker. And I...I didn’t say anything.” He looks away in shame. “I felt so afraid. As if Snoke would kill me if I said anything. And when she died, I still did nothing. For years, neither of us spoke about the tea. And then one day he told me it was time for me to marry.”

“Did he tell you he planned to murder me?” she asks coldly.

Ben shakes his head. “He didn’t have to. Part of me believed he would let my wife and I alone, but another part of me knew he would not. Still, he was married to some of his wives for years before he did away with them, and when I met you...when I met you, I hoped we would outlast him. I wanted so badly to believe that this would be different, that he wouldn’t try to touch you.”

“But you suspected.”

He winces. “I suspected.”

“And you married me anyway.”

He reaches for her hands, which she yanks out of his grasp. “Rey, please...I was terrified of my--of Snoke. I still am. I was afraid of what he would do if I didn’t obey his wishes. I married you, yes, suspecting that he might try to kill you as he had had his four wives killed, but then I fell in love with you and decided I wouldn’t  _ let _ him kill you.”

Rey’s breath hitches. 

Encouraged, Ben continues, “I did. I fell hopelessly, irrevocably in love with you. And then I got that letter from Luke and...everything changed. I realized Snoke had killed my parents to get my fortune, that he had killed all his wives, and he would kill you and even me as long as he gained from it. As soon as I realized that Mrs. Phasma was going up to kill you, I tried to stop her. You saw that.”

“Yes,” Rey agrees, still a little dazed.

“I tried to stop Hux, too, but Snoke insisted. He’s been trying to talk sense into me, and I’ve been letting him think it’s working.” When Ben reaches for her hands this time, she doesn’t draw them away. “Rey, I have an idea. It will sound mad, but if we can pull it off, I believe we’ll both be revenged on those he’s killed to get to our fortunes and, more importantly, we’ll be free of him.”

Rey nods slowly. “I’m listening.”

.

An hour later, Rey and Ben take his horse and head back to Redwall. Rey tries not to let her nerves get the better of her, something that is helped by Ben’s stolid presence.

Finn and Poe have wide eyes when Rey and Ben ride up to the stables. 

“It’s all right,” Rey tells them as Ben helps her down. 

The two men look dubious but say nothing as Ben grips her arm, steering her inside the house. 

Mr. Hux is inside; upon seeing them, he fairly bounds forward. “I’ll take it from here, Mr. Ren.”

“No need,” Ben says smoothly. “My uncle wants to see her.”

Mr. Hux takes a stunned step back, but Ben ignores him, guiding Rey up the stairs. They find Snoke in the library, sitting in an expansive armchair with his back to the fire. It’s summer, and the fire is stifling, causing perspiration to bead and roll down Rey’s skin. 

“Well done, my good and faithful nephew!” Snoke crows as Ben pulls Rey into the room and then closes the door behind them. “My faith in you is restored.” He leers at Rey. “Young Rey...welcome back.”

“You’re not going to kill me,” Rey says with rather more courage than she feels. Ben is only a few feet behind her, but it feels like miles. 

“Oh, am I not?” Snoke asks in interest. “Why not? I’ve killed four wives thus far—what’s a fifth?”

“You’ve killed more than just that,” Rey accuses. “You killed Ben’s parents. Yes,” she says at the flicker of surprise on his face, “I know about that.”

Snoke looks at Ben, but Rey doesn’t dare take her eyes from the older man. 

“Is that what she told you, nephew? That I would kill my own sister?”

“It wasn’t Rey who told me,” Ben says quietly, coming to stand beside her. “It was my mother’s brother. Her real brother.” 

Snoke’s eyes widen, but before he can do anything, Ben lunges forward, tackling him to the ground. Snoke opens his mouth, trying to call for help, but Ben clamps a hand over his mouth. With his other hand, he reaches for the revolver in his pocket. Snoke is still thrashing against him, so Rey comes forward, sitting on his legs and pinning down his arms. Ben wraps Snoke’s fingers around the revolver. Snoke’s eyes go wide with terror. 

“This is for my parents, you bastard.”

_ BANG _ . 

Ben and Rey stand up, looking down at their deed. Below, they can hear shouts and the thud of feet. 

“You remember what to say?” Rey asks.

Ben nods and takes her hand. 

The door flies open, revealing Mr. Hux and Mrs. Phasma. They look down at Lord Snoke’s body in horror. 

“My uncle has just confessed to the murder of his wives,” Ben says calmly. “I confronted him about his killing my parents and he admitted to everything—including your parts in the deaths of his wives. I shall be informing the authorities immediately.”

Mr. Hux and Mrs. Phasma, never quite ruddy-cheeked to begin with, pale even more as what little color they have drains from their faces. 

“I suggest you leave at once.”

They don’t need to be told twice, running out of the room and up to the servants’ quarters. In half an hour they are gone and the police are on their way. 

Rey and Ben wait in the parlor, hands twined as they sit on the sofa.

“When I was hiding,” she murmurs, her forehead pressed against his, “I had never felt so alone.”

“You’re not alone.”

“Neither are you.”

Ben kisses her, and for the first time in a long time, Rey feels that everything will be all right. 

.

_ One month later _

.

Rey stands in the middle of the hall, pulling on her gloves as she surveys the luggage. It isn’t a very large pile, considering it’s all of her and Ben’s belongings--but then, they’d never had much to begin with. 

They’re selling the house. Ben hadn’t been sure if it was even his to sell, but Snoke left it to him in his will. A will he had drawn up right after Ben married Rey; in it, he had also left Ben the mines. 

The mines still belong to Rey, but not for long. She’s selling them, too. They’re selling just about everything, in fact, except for their clothes and a few personal possessions. It hadn’t felt right to take anything from the house; it was never really their house to begin with. 

They’re selling everything and moving to America, to live with Ben’s uncle--his  _ real _ uncle, Luke Skywalker. He’s invited them both to come live with him, and they’ve accepted. They’re on their way now--or they would be, if Ben would stop fretting.

“Darling, will you please hurry?” she calls up the stairs. “We’re going to miss the train.”

“In a moment, my love,” he calls back. “I’m looking for something.”

“What on earth are you looking for?” she asks with half a mind to go up there and physically drag him down the stairs. 

She hears a shout of triumph, and a moment later he comes bounding down the stairs, book in hand. 

“A book?”

“Why, darling, it’s  _ your _ book.”

She sees the cover and flushes. “ _ Ben _ …”

“Remember our wedding night?” he breathes with a mischievous grin. “On the train?”

“How could I forget?”

“I think we could revisit it, equipped with our new knowledge.”

“You have a wicked mind,” she chides with a smile.

He leans close. “You love it.”

“I do,” she agrees, reaching up to kiss him. “Now we really  _ must _ be going.”

“Yes, dear.”

They walk out of Redwall for the last time. Neither of them looks back. 


End file.
